₦airaland Forum

Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

The Man. The Myth. The Legend.

Defied the odds to get an education.
Defied the odds to earn a degree.
Defied the odds to build a career.
Defied the odds to rise to the top.
Defied the odds to build businesses.
Defied the odds to become one of Africa’s wealthiest men.

And in 1993, he defied the odds to win Nigeria’s presidency.

But MKO Abiola was more than a businessman or politician.

Between 1972 and the 1993 presidential election, he supported 63 secondary schools, 121 mosques and churches, 41 libraries and 21 water projects across 24 states.

And his influence was not confined to Yorubaland.

When the Kano State Investment Fund was launched, while many contributors were giving between ₦500,000 and ₦1 million, Abiola reportedly announced a ₦10 million donation.

Then came June 12, 1993.

MKO Abiola, a Yoruba businessman from Abeokuta, faced Bashir Tofa, a Kano indigene, in Kano State.

Abiola won.

MKO Abiola: 169,619 votes.
Bashir Tofa: 154,809 votes.

That was approximately 52.3% to 47.7%.

A Yoruba presidential candidate had defeated a Kano-born candidate in Kano.

That was MKO Abiola.

He also sponsored Dr. Faruk Umar of Kano to complete his PhD in the United States. Umar would later become part of Abiola’s campaign team during the 1993 election.

And across Nigeria, traditional institutions honoured him.

He was:

• Bobagunwa of Egbaland - 1972
• Oganla of Ojoo Gbagura, Abeokuta - 1973
• Bobajiro of Ode-Remo - 1978
• Balogun of Ojoo, Gbagura - 1983
• Bashorun of Ibadan - 1987
• Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland - 1988
• Jagunmolu of Lagos - 1989
• Magayaki of Katsina
• Shettima of Borno
• Magayakin Zazzau of Suleja
• Ozemoya of Auchi
• Itevuegbe of Weppa-Wano, Agenebode

In total, he was said to have received traditional titles from 68 communities.

Think about that.

A man from Abeokuta.

A Yoruba man.

A businessman.

A philanthropist.

A political candidate.

Yet his influence reached Kano, Katsina, Borno, Suleja, Auchi, Agenebode, Lagos, Ibadan and communities across Nigeria.

That is the story of MKO Abiola.

Not just the man who won June 12.

But the man who spent decades building relationships across Nigeria from 1972 way before June 12, 1993 ever happened.

Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

The Man.

The Myth.

The Legend.

The legend lives on forever

Bat01:
Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

The Man. The Myth. The Legend.

Yet his influence reached Kano, Katsina, Borno, Suleja, Auchi, Agenebode, Lagos, Ibadan and communities across Nigeria.

That is the story of MKO Abiola.

Not just the man who won June 12.

But the man who spent decades building relationships across Nigeria from 1972 way before June 12, 1993 ever happened.

Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

The Man.

The Myth.

The Legend.

written like a Gen z

he is properly described as:
the crook
the thief (ITT)
the criminal

Fela will tell you more about the dude