Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said June 12, 1993, Presidential election believed to have been won by late business mogul, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola was annulled because of “bad blood“.
Obasanjo said this while speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital during his investiture as a Trustee of Abeokuta Club, a sociocultural organisation of Egba people of Ogun State on Sunday April 11.
The election, adjudged to be most peaceful, credible and fair, was annulled by military President, Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.
Obasanjo, who described the late acclaimed winner of the election, Kashimawo Abiola as his school mate at Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, said the annulment robbed Egbaland, the rare opportunity to have three of its prominent sons, occupy the seat of the president, at different times.
The elder statesman, who was referring to former Head of Interim National Government (ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan, who governed the country first as a military Head of State and himself, noted that Abiola would have become the third, if the 1993 presidential poll was not annulled.
At the event, late business mogul was awarded a posthumous Vice-Patron of the Club during its 46th President Party held at the secretariat in Abeokuta.
According to Obasanjo, Abiola richly deserved the award bestowed on him by Abeokuta Club, stressing;
I want to thank Abeokuta club for this honour being bestowed on me and the honour being bestowed on my school mate MKO Abiola which he richly deserved.
Normally when you win a cup three times, you keep that cup. Isn’t it? If not for bad belle, Abeokuta would have produced President of Nigeria three times, in which case we should have kept it permanently.
But be that as it may, we have a great heritage and we should be proud of our heritage.
Obasanjo, however, pledged his commitment to the development of the Club, Ogun state, Nigeria and the world.
He stated;
I want to say this, I will continue to contribute my quota to the development and growth of this club and by extension, the development and growth of Abeokuta, of Ogun State, of Nigeria, of African and indeed the of the world in whichever way I could.
Also, Alake and paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, while presenting the plaque to Obasanjo, described Obasanjo and MKO Abiola as proud sons of Abeokuta.
