JUNE 12: Abiola Family Demands Presidential Entitlements for late MKO

Late Chief MKO Abiola 

FAMILY of the late business magnate and philanthropist, Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12 in the 1993 presidential election has called on the federal government to formally declare him the winner and pay all entitlements provided for by the Nigerian Constitution on the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Abiola’s undeniable victory at the poll was annulled by the military junta of General Ibrahim Babangida following a court injunction secured by the Association of Better Nigeria (ABN) spearheaded by a controversial politician, Senator Arthur Nzeribe.

Muritala Abiola, head of the family, made the request on Sunday during the commemoration of the June 12 election organised by the Ogun State government, which started with a democracy walk from the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta to the Oke Ido ancestral home of the Abiolas.

Muritala, who is the younger brother of the late politician, said that the deceased deserved the entitlement for dying for the enthronement of democracy in the country.

“First, we want the federal government to declare June 12 as democracy day. It should do even more than that,” he said.

“Ken Saro Wiwa died fighting over Ogoni oil spillage, the federal government is doing the cleaning up of the oil spillage in Ogoni land.

“MKO was killed because of an election he won maybe it is you journalists or the Nigerian government calling him acclaimed winner.

“He is not acclaimed winner, they should confirm him as slain president of Nigeria. MKO should be declared president. Although slain, all the entitlements belong to the family.”

Murtala, who also appealed to the state government to return the school established by the late Abiola – Salawu Abiola Comprehensive High School, Osiele, Abeokuta – to the family to administer, however, thanked the state government for continuously keeping the memory of the late Abiola alive by observing the walk in the last five years.

In response, the state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, represented by deputy governor, Yetunde Onanuga said his administration’s resolve to continually mark the event in honour of the deceased “hero” was justified as his victory at the poll of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was the fairest and freest in the history of the nation but aborted by the enemies of democracy.

 “We have been organising the democracy walk and identifying with the Abiola family for the past five years that this administration has been in government,” he said.