BY CHARLES KUMOLU
FOR a death that claimed only one life at the Aso Rock Clinic on July 7, 1998, it is an irony that the
import of that mysterious event, now symbolises the multifaceted challenges militating against the
future of over 170million lives.
Though opinions are still divided as to whether the death of Chief MKO Abiola is of any
significance to Nigeria’s journey to nationhood, many see the death as a supreme sacrifice for the
enthronement of an enduring democracy.
This feeling is so common among the majority of Nigerians, who are still sad that the hope and
confidence the election promised, were dashed under circumstances still regarded as questionable
till date.
With the immediate pains of that bungled era are no longer too hurtful, the scars of that historical
episode have continued to live with a every Nigeria. Same could be said of Abiola’s ghost which
has continued to hunt Nigerians from the deadly Sambisa forests to the relatively calm creeks of
the Niger Delta region.
Analysts argue that had the nagging issues that created June 12 annulment and Abiola’s
subsequent death been resolved, his ghost would have been resting in peace regardless of the
injustice believed to have been meted unto him by the state.
But with the issues of ethnicity, religion, leadership, political culture among others, which Abiola
was believed to have fought to have them bettered, still holding the nation down, Abiola’s ghost still
hoover across the land sixteen years after.
This is why friends and associates put aside the emotional pains of loosing Abiola, who is the
assumed winner of the polls, to demand for a Nigeria where all the institutions of the state work at
a forum organised to mark the sixteen years of his death yesterday in Lagos.
Like the generality of opinions across the country, those at the event which was held at Abiola’s
Ikeja residence unanimously agreed that Abiola’s death ultimately benefited Nigeria’s political
development, although perhaps, not as he intended.
In her remarks, President of Campaign for Democracy, CD, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, said, “The very
democratic tree his victory planted has withered as we are still in search of real democracy in our
clime.
The only reparation Nigeria can pay MKO is to ensure that a new order emerges from the on-going
National Conference to instill justice, equity and fairness in our body politic.
“These are the very virtues MKO defended till he died. Once again, we salute the memory of
President M K O Abiola, the only truly elected President of Nigeria whose election was clean, free
and fair and adjudged so by local and international observers”, she noted.
She further observed that: “Abiola displayed uncommon courage, unparalleled dignity and unusual
candour in defence of the mandate reposed in him by change seeking Nigerians who trooped out to
vote for him in 1993 and engaged all the illegal regimes that held sway while the legal president
was languishing in jail. 16 years after his elimination, President Abiola still stands tall than all his
adversaries and his murderers.”
In addition, Okei-Odumakin said: “ He represents what Nigeria is capable of being but which we are
not because of the machinations of a greedy cabal.
All the troubles of Nigeria which his victory was about to abolish are the very things that are
threatening the corporate existence of the country today. A country that elected Abiola with a
Muslim running mate would not hear of such today as it is badly divided along regions and
religions.
We are now remembering
MKO in the midst of
insurgency ruins, Chibok
abductions and people
burying their dead in the
Boko Haram harvest of
blood. His memory
challenges us to end terror in
Nigeria.”
Going down memory lane
she recalled that “ July 7
marks the 16th anniversary
of the liquidation of
President MKO Abiola, the
man popularly elected by
Nigerians as president on June 12, 1993.
President Abiola was eliminated after over four years of incarceration and his blunt refusal to
compromise his principled belief that a mandate given by over 14 million Nigerians cannot be
overturned.”

MKO is overrated. June 12 is a myth.

K