THE family of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12 1993 Presidential Election, on Wednesday, said that the Ogun State Government has never abandoned the family.
Speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta, shortly after leading some other members of the family in meeting with the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Taiwo Adeoluwa, the Head of the family, Chief Muritala Abiola, said this was contrary to a newspaper publication that the state government has abandoned the family.
He claimed that he was quoted out of context in an interview he granted a national newspaper (not Tribune), that the family would not participate in the annual celebration organised by government.
The younger brother of the late Abiola said the family was at the Governor’s Office to discuss plan for the 24th anniversary of the annulled presidential election.
Two children of the late business mogul Jamiu and Absulmumin Abiola were part of the meeting, as they apologized to the State Government for the damage the publication could have caused
Muritala said, “I was misquoted that Ogun State (government) did not do anything for Abiola family. But the bone of contention is that it is not what I meant that the paper published. So, I am cancelling my statement concerning Ogun State performance with the family.
“The person that interviewed me used some grammatical jargon. As for me, I’m not a grammarian. I’m a Yoruba. If they had interviewed me in Yoruba, they would have got what I meant clearly.”
Abdulmumin, who is the last child of the late Kudirat Abiola, said the contributions of the Ogun State government to the family was of great immense financially and other terms.
Abdulmumin said, “I just think that this is a misunderstanding. His statement was taken out of context. What Ogun State has done for this family is far more than what we receive from Lagos. I don’t know what kind of politics they are trying to play or what happened.
“But I’m here to testify that the state has done a lot for the Abiola family and they will continue to. And you have to understand that some of these things cannot be quantified in financial terms.
“Something like the walk is sensitizing people about daddy’s (MKO) struggles, and what he stood for. You know there are kids who 19 years ago were not born; so for them to know and understand what he went to do. These things can be categorised as priceless.”
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