MKO Abiola’s ex-aide criticises IBB’s book launch

Dr. Wale Fasakin, the Personal Assistant (P.A) to the winner of the 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, has joined many Nigerians in criticising the former military Head of State, Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB’s) book launch last week.

Speaking with journalists on Monday, Dr Fasakin said that the apology and admission by the former military leader had just opened a new chapter in the history of the June 12 (Hope ’93) struggle.

According to him: “The apology of the former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, will open a new chapter in the history of June 12,” adding: “but how relevant that would be to present-day Nigeria is subject to public reaction on the subject matter.”

Describing the apology as overdue, Fasakin said: “General Babangida’s apology will be meaningless to the family of Chief MKO Abiola and hundreds of people who lost their lives in the struggle to actualise June 12.”

Rather than the apology, Fasakin wanted IBB to make a public apology to Abiola’s family and the families of Nigerians that died or became negatively affected by the June 12 struggle.

“He (IBB) should donate all the money he realised from the book launch to schools and orphanages in the country.”

He recalled that he was privy to the treachery woven by Babangida to lure Chief Abiola into the presidential race only to betray his one-time friend when he (MKO) needed him most.

He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the good people of Nigeria and the whole world still remember that Babangida lured his good friend Chief MKO Abiola to contest the 1993 election that led to his incarceration and death.”

Abiola’s former aide queried: “Why has it taken General Babangida this long to open up on the said annulment of June, 1993? He must, as well, put up the courage to tell the whole world what his supposed good friend has done to warrant that kind of treatment. It was a stark betrayal of trust.

“I believe the General knows that as he knows, too, he is still hiding a lot of information the whole world would like to know about, part of which is: who killed Chief MKO Abiola and who were the others behind the annulment of the fairest, most credible and epochal election in the history of Nigeria?” He stressed.

He however appreciated former president Muhammadu Buhari for the posthumous honour of GCFR conferred on Chief Abiola, saying: “At least, someone thought straight on the subject matter.”

He expressed hope that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was so much involved in the struggle to actualise June 12, would do justice to the mystery surrounding the death of the late Abiola.

“President Bola Tinubu is in a position now to take General Babangida to task behind the curtain after the public drama of the launch of a library that no human being will want to visit,” he wished.

According to him: “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu put his life on the line for the struggle to actualise June 12, which may be one of the reasons for his slogan: ‘Renewed Hope’; that is, Hope ’93 renewed.”

He urged President Tinubu to make a posthumous declaration of Chief MKO Abiola as the president-elect of the said 1993 election.

“Nigerians want President Tinubu to change June 12 from Democracy Day to MKO Abiola Day; accord Abiola the privileges of the status of a president, one of which should be to name a federal structure in his name,” he pleaded.

He noted that Abiola sacrificed his blood to give Nigerians a rare type of democracy not known to the black race ever.

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