For the first time, Lekan Abiola, one of the sons of late Chief MKO
Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the free and fair June 12, 1993,
revealed certain facts that his dad told him about the election, the
dirty politics in Nigeria and what he told him the last day they met in
his detention cell before his death.
The interview is indeed an interesting read. Except:
What do you think about the annulment of the outcome of the 1993
presidential election which your father was believed to have won?Of
course, I was very disappointed and I felt a sense of betrayal because
IBB was someone we knew very well. This was somebody who assured the
nation that he was leaving, how can he do that? If all along, he knew
that he had no intention to leave, why did he allow my dad to go all the
way, do all the campaigns and spend all that he spent? He could have
told my father. But as a family, we have forgiven him; we have taken it
as act of God.
Have you had an opportunity to speak with IBB since then and what transpired?
Yes, I met him (IBB) about three years ago and we discussed. But he could not explain much but that he himself regretted what happened and that the whole situation was out of his hands. He said that his hands were tied and that there were many things that he could not discuss. He said we should let bygones be bygones and to bury the hatchet.
Have you had an opportunity to speak with IBB since then and what transpired?
Yes, I met him (IBB) about three years ago and we discussed. But he could not explain much but that he himself regretted what happened and that the whole situation was out of his hands. He said that his hands were tied and that there were many things that he could not discuss. He said we should let bygones be bygones and to bury the hatchet.
