Abbas Yushau Yusuf
As part of our Nigeria at 60 series of events, today we bring to you one of the historical issues that change and shape the political landscape of our nation.
The personality that has done that was late chief Moshood Kashimawao Olawole Abiola, the first Yoruba Man to have wide national acceptance when Nigeria was inching to civil rule in 1993.
Chief MKO Abiola won the June 12, 1993, Presidential elections on the platform of the Social Democratic Party, SDP but was annulled by Military President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
Chief MKO Abiola’s travails began when he connived with the military to topple the interim government of Chief Ernest Shonekan in anticipation of returning power to him by the military he backed.
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Chief MKO Abiola kept waiting till 1994 when the military Administration of General Sani Abacha refused to honor the agreement it had with Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawole Abiola to install him as president as he had anticipated.
In June 1994, a year after the annulment of June 12, 1993, elections, Chief Abiola in utter frustration gathered his supporters at EPETEDO in Lagos and declared himself President of Nigeria which was widely acknowledged as the EPETEDO Declaration.
That thrown Chief Abiola into serious conflict with Head Of State General Sani Abacha.
Abiola was later traced to his home and arrested and was locked till his death on July 7 1998 barely a month after the death of the Head of state General Sani Abacha.
For over four years, Of Chief Abiola’s incarceration, there are important happenings in and around Nigeria which Chief MKO Abiola is not aware of.
According to Max Sillion in his book, Nigeria’s soldiers of fortune said when chief MKO Abiola was incarcerated for four years he was not provided with Radio or Television and has no access to Newspapers.
When General Abdulsalami Abubakar after succeeding General Sani Abacha decided to release him .a delegation of the united nations was sent to discuss the way forward for his release, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations was embarrassed when Abiola asked him who are you, Chief Kofi Annan replied that he is the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Abiola later Asked Kofi Annan on What happened to that Egyptian, referring to Boutrous Boutrous Ghali, Kofi Annan told Abiola that Boutrous Ghali has finished his tenure and another election was conducted.
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It was on that spot that Abiola was also informed about General Sani Abacha’s death, Abiola also retorted and wrote condolence later to General Sani Abacha’s family where he assured Abacha’s family of holding no grudge against the late Head of state.
