Hope’93: The President who never was

The name M.K.O ABIOLA is no stranger to the ears of the average Nigerian and for good reason. 

In a fairy tale world, this hero of democracy will suffer numerous throes but will eventually have his “happily ever after” but sadly, that is not to be his case.

Here’s the story of the man named M.K.O ABIOLA

Born to a Cocoa and Kolanut trader, Mooshod Kashimawo Abiola was the first child of his parents to survive infancy.

His parents thought it fit to name him Kashimawo which loosely translates to “Let’s wait and see” as they were not sure if he would survive unlike the 22 children they had before him. In fact, It was only after 15 years of life that he was christened Mooshod.

As early as the age of 9, Abiola demonstrated a flair for business and would later start a band that would fund his education at the Baptist Boy’s School Abeokuta. There he met former president Olusegun Obasonjo who served as a deputy editor of the School’s magazine under him.

Upon completion of his high school, Abiola became a receipent of a national scholarship to study at the University of Glasgow. He studied Accounting graduating summa cum laude.

Kashy baby’s for the win right?🤩❤️

About 20 years later, Abiola was deeply involved in Nigeria politics. He joined the ruling party at the time, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and in time he was elected as the State Chairman of his party. 

As a member of the ruling party, he had a very good chance of becoming President but this was not to be yet as a military coup (1983) organized by General Ibrahim Babaginda  against General Muhammadu Buhari swept up the civilian rule again.

Within the ten years of General Ibrahim Babaginda  as the military head, he legalized the formation of political parties in a bid to lift the ban on political activities enacted since the 1983 coup. The parties formed then were the National Republican Convention (NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). M.K.O Abiola joined the latter. 

After a census, a National Assembly and presidential election was to be held in 1992. The elections took place as scheduled but the primaries was annulled by the National Electoral Council under the influence of Babangida. It was not until 1993 that the presidential election finally took place again.

It would interest you to know that the presidential primary election was largely a three way contest  between M.K.O Abiola, Babagana Kingibe and Atiku Abubakar (yes the same Atiku😂). As you’d have guessed, Abiola won, but with a slim victory proceeding to the presidential election proper with his former opponent Kingibe.

The June 12th 1993 Presidential election saw M.K.O Abiola and Babagana Kingibe of the SDP victorious with over 2 million votes against their opponents Bashir Tofa and Sylvester Ugoh of the NRC . 

The result of the election brought a wide spread celebration across the nation because the person they all came out and voted for truly came into power. Even the international observers declared the June 12th presidential elections as the freest and fairest elections.

As if the annulment in the past year wasn’t enough, the military president, General Ibrahim Babangida annulled the results of the election yet again. This time, he wasn’t to be let off easily as the nation was thrown into protest and unrest.

As a result of the political crisis on ground based on the annulment, General Ibrahim Babangida resigned in August 1993 appointing Ernest Shonekan as interim president. His resignation did little to nothing to quell the unrest in the country, if anything, it worsened it as General Sani Abacha seized power later that year.

M.K.O Abiola declared himself the lawful president after General Abacha seized power. This didn’t sit well with Abacha, he took it as an act of treason and sent several police vehicles just to have him arrested and detained.

Abiola was held in police custody for four years. A sitting pope and the likes of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and numerous human right activists lobbied for his release from custody. The conditional clause for the Abiola’s release was to denounce being the lawful president and of course, Abiola didn’t agree.

M.K.O Abiola died on the day he was scheduled to be released, just shortly after Abacha’s death. Some say he was poisoned, others say he was ill and a few say he was beaten to death. But one thing is certain, his death wasn’t natural.

M.K.O Abiola might not have been a saint but he was a man of the people. A man who sold Nigerians his dream for them and they bought it. A man who Nigerians chose not with just their hearts but with their actions thumbprint by thumbprint. The man, the legend, the president who never was.

I hope you enjoyed the read❤️

Ifedolapo