IBB Has No Hand In Abiola’s Death, Says Brother

A bombshell was dropped Wednesday when Chief Mubashiru Abiola, the head of the Abiola family of Gbagura, Abeokuta, Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, and younger brother to Moshood Abiola, the winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election, absolved former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, of any complicity in the death of  Abiola.

Mubashiru, who spoke with newsmen at the family house at Oja-Agbo area of Abeokuta, said Babangida has been a very good supporter of the family since the death of his brother.

According to him, “Babangida does anything we want in this family, unless he did not hear about it. He has been very supportive to this family. There was a time Abiola’s daughter was having her wedding, Babangida was here with his wife. They came all the away from Minna and sat down with us all through the programme. He left his wife to stay with us till the second day. She slept in MKO’s house till the second day.

“That is the major reason I will always support him and I do not believe that Babangida was the one that killed MKO. No, that it is capital No. Everybody knew that Babangida was not in government when MKO died. How would you say that somebody who is not somewhere did something?” he queried.

He specifically thanked Babangida for the role he had played in uplifting of the family.

“I will like to recall the immense support of  Babangida to the Abiola family over the years, and pray that the Almighty God shall continue to guard and guide him aright.

“I want to state unequivocally that General Babangida’s administration remains the best ever in the nation’s history, and I implore our current administrators at  various levels of government to embrace the vision of June 12, by ensuring that every Nigerian family gets food on their tables and shelters over their heads. All our youths should be given jobs while the nooks and crannies of the federation enjoys basic amenities,” he said.

According to Mubashiru, “on behalf of my humble self and the entire Abiola family of Egbaland, at home and in the Diaspora, I thank all patriotic Nigerians who have along the line appreciated the special date of June 12 in particular and President Bashorun MKO Abiola, the symbol of the date, and sacrificial lamb used for the enthronement of our modern day democracy. I cannot but mention the former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba for remaining steadfast and helpful to the family.”

While thanking President Goodluck Jonathan, he requested for the entitlements of the late business mogul, adding that there are so many things that the federal government ought to have done for the family.

“I take advantage of today’s 20th anniversary of June 12 to request President Jonathan to invite the MKO Abiola family to a meeting to deliberate on how the federal government intends to settle the long standing debts owed that political icon, business mogul and symbol of our modern day democracy, my brother, Chief MKO Abiola. It is now long over due,” he said.

—Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta