Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola
(August 24, 1937 – July 7, 1998), often referred
to as M. K. O. Abiola , was a popular Nigerian
Yoruba businessman, publisher, politician and
aristocrat of the Yoruba Egba clan. He ran for
the presidency in 1993, and is widely regarded
as the presumed winner of the inconclusive
election since no official final results were
announced.
He died in 1998, after being denied victory when
the entire election results were dubiously
annulled by the preceding military president
Ibrahim Babangida because of alleged evidence
that they were corrupt and unfair. Remembrance
of M.K.O. Abiola Chief MKO Abiola's memory is
celebrated in Nigeria and internationally. June
12 remains a public holiday in Lagos and Ogun
states. There are also remembrance events
arranged across Nigeria. MKO Abiola was known
for his charisma and for being a man of the
people. As a prominent social activist,
democratic freedom fighter, and successful
business figure, the continuing support for MKO
Abiola is part of his legacy. MKO Abiola Stadium
was named in his honour. There were also calls
for posthumous presidential recognition.
Despite his popularity or because of it, MKO
Abiola occasionally attracted criticism from
political activists and detractors.
Controversy was caused by a song by Nigerian
musician, Fela Kuti. Kuti was a charismatic
multi-instrumentalist musician, composer and
human rights activist – famed for being the
pioneer of Afrobeat music as well as a
controversial figure, due to his unusual lifestyle
and apparent drug use.
It is believed that Kuti had entered into an
acrimonious dispute relating to a contract with
MKO Abiola's record label [citation needed] . He
used the abbreviation of International Telephone
& Telegraph (IT&T in a song criticising big
multinational corporations. The song, ITT
accuses such companies of draining Africa's
resources and makes specific reference to MKO
Abiola (“they start to steal money Like Obasanjo
and Abiola”).
Awards and honours
Moshood Abiola was twice voted international
businessman of the year [citation needed], and
received numerous honorary doctorates from
universities all over the world. In 1987 he was
bestowed with the golden key to the city of
Washington D.C., and he was bestowed with
awards from the NAACP and the King center in
the USA, as well as the International Committee
on Education for Teaching in Paris, amongst
many others. In Nigeria, the Oloye Abiola was
made the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland. It is
the highest chieftaincy title available to
commoners amongst the Yoruba, and has only
been conferred by the tribe 14 times in its
history.
This in effect rendered Abiola the ceremonial War
Viceroy of all of his tribes people. According to
the folklore of the tribe as recounted by the
Yoruba elders, the Aare Ona Kakanfo is expected
to die a warrior in the defense of his nation in
order to prove himself in the eyes of both the
divine and the mortal as having been worthy of
his title.