BEVERLY HILLS, April 11, (THEWILL) – Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, says ‘bad blood’ was the reason for the annulment of the June 12, 1993, Presidential Election acclaimed to have been won by late business mogul, Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.
The former President, who described the late acclaimed winner of the election, Kashimawo Abiola as his school mate at the Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, said the annulment robbed Egbaland, the rare opportunity to have three of its prominent sons, occupy the seat of the President, at different times.
Obasanjo stated this in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital during his investiture as a Trustee of the Abeokuta Club, a sociocultural organisation of the Egba people of Ogun State.
The late business mogul was also awarded a posthumous Vice-Patron of the Club during its 46th President Party held at the secretariat in Abeokuta.
According to Obasanjo Abiola richly deserved the award bestowed on him by the Abeokuta Club.
Obasanjo, who was apparently referring to former Head of the Interim National Government Chief Ernest Shonekan, himself who ruled Nigeria, first, as a military Head-of-State and later two-time civilian President, noted that Abiola would have become the third if the 1993 poll was not cancelled.
Obasanjo stated: “I want to thank Abeokuta club for this honour being bestowed on me and the honour being bestowed on my school mate MKO Abiola which he richly deserved.
“Normally when you win a cup three times, you keep that cup. Isn’t it? If not for bad belle, 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 heritaheritage.”
Obasanjo, however, pledged his commitment to the development of the Club, Ogun State, Nigeria and the world.
“I want to say this, I will continue to contribute my quota to the development and growth of this club and by extension, the development and growth of Abeokuta, of Ogun State, of Nigeria, of African and indeed the of the world in whichever way I could,” the former President pledged.
