- Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola emerged from a poor background to rise to the top of the social ladder through dint of hard work, native and acquired intelligence, and Grace of God, which he frequently acknowledged.

- He had extremely large and golden heart. He didn't have class when it comes to friendship and giving assistance. A man with infectious chuckle, slight dimples and stuttering speech with unique use of proverbs and humour.

- He was extremely wealthy. Trained as an accountant but driven by restless entrepreneurial spirit, he set up successful investments in sundry sectors across the world.

- He was a Muslim but contributed equally to support various projects of Islam and Christianity across the country. Little wonder that even when he chose a Muslim Alhaji Babagana Kingibe as vice presidential candidate, Christians felt comfortable because they knew his antecedents.

- Though politically naive in appearance, he was politically adventurous with involvement in financing political causes locally and around the globe. His closeness to top military officers led to the frequently accusations that he did have foreknowledge of some coups that took place in Nigeria. He was a staunch financier of Sam Nujoma's SWAPO, President Museveni's rebel group, and many black emancipation groups in America.

- He had large appetite for women and being a Muslim helped him to acquire many to meet his needs. He loved and took good care of the children those women gave him.

- He was a sports lover and gave his resources to support the organization of sports in Africa, which earned him the title of "Pillar of sports in Africa". He, in particular, loved football with passion. He set up had Abiola Babes FC and financed it properly. On several occasions, he had abandoned his car in traffic and rode on "okada' to National stadium to watch matches.

- As a philanthropist, he donated generously to different universities and polytechnics to quality of education.

- He loved music and could sing well. He was toast of musicians. Stories had it that at musical shows, he doesn't spray money, he 'dump' bundles on performing musicians. He supported PMAN and donated towards their projects.

- He was a pan African who spent incredible resources campaigning vigorously for Europe and America to make adequate reparations to Africa for plundering the continent as slave buyers and colonial masters.

- He had a date with history on June 12, 1993. Former dictator Ibrahim Babangida deliberately and mischievously fixed presidential election in the middle of rainy season hoping to exploit the loophole of a rain-disrupted election day to stay in power. Lo and behold, no part of Nigeria recorded a rain on that historic June 12. The rest as they often say is now history. He won the election but former dictator Babangida annulled it. He later, courageously, declared himself a president and was arrested and kept in solitary confinement.

- In his last days in detention, he had a special privilege of being stripped of worldly things he loved too much: money, power, women and friends and consequently died holding only that one thing that matters - God.

Did Abiola die for Nigeria or for his ambition?