Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the June 12, 1993 presidential election presumably won by the late business mogul, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola was annulled because of ‘bad belle’ (envious hatred).
He said this at the 46th President party of the Abeokuta Club, founded in 1972 where he was installed as a Trustee and the late Late Abiola was conferred posthumously with the Vice Patron of the Club.
Obasanjo, who described Abiola as his school mate at the Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, lamented that the cancellation of June 12 election had robbed Egbaland the rare opportunity of having three of its prominent sons occupy the seat of the president at different times.
According to Obasanjo, Abiola richly deserved the award bestowed on him by the Abeokuta Club.
Obasanjo noted that Abiola would have become the third person from Abeokuta to rule Nigeria if the 1993 poll had not been annulled. The other two apparently was himself and the former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan.
Obasanjo said “I want to thank the (Abeokuta) club for this honour being bestowed on me and the honour being bestowed on my school mate MKO Abiola which he richly deserved.
“Kabiyesi, the Alake (of Egbaland) alluded to it. Normally when you win a cup three times, you keep that cup. Isn’t it? If not for bad belle (hatred), Abeokuta would have produced President of Nigeria three times, in which case we should have kept it permanently.
“But be that as it may, we have a great heritage and we should be proud of our heritage.”
Obasanjo pledged his commitment to the development of the club, Ogun State, Nigeria and the world.
Earlier, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo while presenting the plague to Obasanjo, described Obasanjo and MKO Abiola as proud sons of Abeokuta.
