After twenty-five years, former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo stated on Wednesday why the late Chief Moshood Abiola (MKO Abiola) could not be elected President of Nigeria.
MKO Abiola was named the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, Presidential election, according to sources within Nigeria.
However, the publisher, businessman, and politician was denied the position and was assassinated on July 7, 1998, in Abuja.
In a speech delivered on Wednesday in Ogun State at a lecture titled “Eyin Ni Iwe Wa: You Are Our Epistle,” Obasanjo stated that MKO Abiola could not have been Nigeria’s president three decades ago due to the actions of some “bad belle” – (bad people).
The former military leader made the statement during the centennial celebrations of the Baptist Boys High School in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
According to him, MKO Abiola, a BBHS graduate, was denied his mandate.
Obasanjo stated that he would not be who he is today if BBHS had not instilled in him moral values and a solid education.
He emphasized that the school helped shape the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, former Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Prince Bola Ajibola, and others into the people they are today.
According to Naija News, Awolowo attended BBHS in 1928, Ajibola graduated in 1955, Abiola was among the 1956 class, and Obasanjo graduated in 1957.
Obasanjo noted that, aside from education, the 100-year-old school had instilled godly virtue in all of its products at various times.
“Without BBHS, I would not have been what I am,” Obasanjo declared.
The retired general said the BBHS would have had MKO Abiola as another former president apart from him, but “bad belle” prevented him from becoming President.
Obasanjo said;
Today, there are distinguished old boys in all walks of life, i.e., private sector, academia, military and paramilitary, civil society, traditional rulership, etc. Such is the present President of Old Boys Association of BBHS, Prof. Kayode Oyesiku.
I believe that I must not be too forgetful to leave out yours truly, the son of Obasanjo, a modest war-victorious General and former Military Head of State and former President of Nigeria. Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the first communication industry millionaire in Nigeria and the acclaimed winner of the 1993 Presidential election who was in a class by himself.
If not for Nigerian bad belle, M.K.O. Abiola would have been President and with me as President, we would have needed one more old student of BBHS to be President for us to permanently locate it in BBHS after three times. And that is a challenge for up-and-coming generations of old boys.
The octogenarian urged the next generation to preserve and pass on the moral virtues and discipline instilled in them by the school.
Obasanjo emphasized that all BBHS graduates share a godly virtue instilled in them by the school.
That was education plus. We carry it to anywhere we go as epistle written by BBHS to our families, our communities, our States, our country, and our continent of Africa and indeed our world.
We must impact with humility, honesty, integrity, wisdom, courage, competence and fear of God – these must continue to be our characteristics and our attributes to make a change for good wherever we are. We must be different, Obasanjo said.