By; Niyi Ogungbola, Abeokuta.
The family members of late Chief Moshood Olawale Abiola have demanded that the federal government should commence the process leading to the payment of Abiola’s entitlement as the elected president of Nigeria.
They also demanded that the federal government should reverse the annulment of 1993 presidential election and declare late M.K.O Abiola as “either slained or killed” president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in addition to the payment of his presidential entitlements to the family.
The new head of Abiola family and a younger brother to the late politician, Alhaji Murtala Olanrewaju Abiola made the family’s position known while speaking when the train of the Democracy Day rally organised by the Ogun state government barth at Oja – Agbo, the ancestral home of the Abiolas in Abeokuta, the state capital yesterday.
The Ogun state government had organised the Democracy Walk in commemoration of the June 12, 1993 presidential election presumed to have been won by late M.K.O Abiola.
The Democracy Walk, which had in attendance, the Deputy Governor, Yetunde Onanuga, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, Speaker of the Ogun state House of Assembly, Suraju Ishola and the Head of Service (HoS), Elder Sola Adeyemi among others, started from the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta and terminated at the Abiolas ancestral home at Oke Agbo, Abeokuta where speeches and good will messages were made.
Alhaji Murtala, who had earlier spoke with journalists however, maintained that if the federal government could accord all the presidential courtesies to the former Head of Interim National Government (ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan who occupied the position for only three months without being elected, late M.K.O Abiola too, whom they all regarded as the martyr of the present democratic experiment which all elected office holders in Nigeria are presently enjoying also deserved such.
Giving example of the late Environmental activist, Ken Saro Wiwa who was assassinated by the General Sani Abacha led military junta for fighting over the oil spillage in Ogoniland, Murtala further demanded that the federal government should declare June 12 as democracy day, “and they should do even more than that”.
“For example Ken Saro Wiwa died on this Ogoni oil spill, they are sanitising the environment polluted by that oil spill now. MKO was killed because of election he won. They should confirm him as slained President of Nigeria”.
“Somebody rule for only three months, they said Interim National Government, yet he is still enjoying Presidential privileges. So, M.K.O should be declared President although slained so that all the entitlements would be paid to the family”.
Speaking on behalf of the children, one of the sons of the late politician, Lekan emphasised that what the Abiola family, particularly the children lost in the death of M.K.O Abiola and his wife, Kudirat Abiola could not be regained till eternity.
Regretting that the M.K.O Abiola’s business empire suffered untold hardship under the Gen. Abacha’s regime, Lekan also lamented that the present crop of elected office holders in the country, who are direct beneficiaries of their parents’ death are not doing anything to nationally immortalise late M.K.O Abiola.
In his goodwill message, Governor Amosun, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Onanuga however, pledged to continue to sustain the spirit of the June 12, 1993 presidential election as a way of paying tribute to the illustrious son of the state, late M.K.O Abiola.
