Abiola family at war over said monetary gifts from former military dictator Ibrahim Babangida and others....

CC Global Insider

Following the revelation by one of the brothers of late Chief MKO Abiola, Mubashiru Abiola that former military dictator, Gen Ibrahim Babangida has been the one sustaining the family since the death of the acclaimed winner of the June 12 1993 presidential election, the head of the Abiola family, Chief Mohammed Murtala Abiola yesterday described the claim as total falsehood.

Speaking at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State , the Abiola family head who said that he is not aware of any monetary support from the former head of state said " If there is any money that IBB brought, it is not to my knowledge. I heard he (Mubashiru) frequents IBB's residence in Minna to beg for money but he has never declared any money to the family. Even when Obasanjo was president, he gave the family money but Mubashiru said he went there on his own and so he didn't give us a dime. If Mubashiru is saying that IBB has been supporting MKO's family, that is understandable but that IBB has been supporting Abiola's family is not true. The last time I met IBB was many years ago in MKO's house where he came to solicit for financial assistance to enable him travel abroad."

Continuing, Murtala who is the Osin Baale of Agbado land added: "It is not today that Mubashiru has been tarnishing the good image of our family. He has been a traitor right from his childhood. He has no job. During those days, our father, Chief Salaudeen Abiola was a leader of the Action Group in Abeokuta. 

During the crisis of Awolowo and Akintola, Mubashiru joined the other group to burn our father's house. 

There was also a time Aremo Osoba gave us money and to show appreciation to him, we decided to appoint a leader and he was chosen. That was all. There was never a time MKO's family appointed him as their spokesman."

While also speaking on the controversial Will of the late business mogul, Abiola said " from the beginning we knew it was forged. When MKO died, according to Yoruba tradition, it is expected that the members of his family would make arrangement for his burial. Rather his son started making arrangement with those that killed his father. As a Muslim  he was supposed to have been buried immediately. We were in Ikeja making arrangements while Abuja was also making arrangements. At the end we heard Kola got a contract from Abacha."

Corroborating his story, secretary of the Abiola Family, Engineer, Sule Abiola hinted that the family held a meeting that ended in the early hours of yesterday and concluded on certain issues which would be made public in due course.

He added that " Mubashiru's rantings didn't come to us as a surprise but the fact remains that we cannot romance with IBB. I am the person that introduced Mubashiru to IBB on the condition that IBB would answer three questions I told Mubashiru to ask him. Since he didn't ask him, I did. He only answered one of the questions.

First, I asked him why he anulled the June 12 elections? This is what I have been keeping to myself for years but now I will say it. IBB answered that, Allah is my witness, the people that anulled the election are those in power. The second question was, who killed MKO? IBB said, I don't know. And the third question- what is your position on Kola who wanted to marry your daughter?

IBB said, I don't know. Now our resolution is to demote Mubashiru. If anyone wants to see the family, they should meet us. Kola is the head of the dynasty of the Abiola family. What is happening is that certain characters collect money in the name of the Abiola family and share among themselves. 

For the record, from 1972 until his death Moshood Abiola had been conferred with 197 traditional titles by 68 different communities in Nigeria, in response to the fact that his financial assistance resulted in the construction of 63 secondary schools, 121 mosques and churches, 41 libraries, 21 water projects in 24 states of Nigeria, and was grand patron to 149 societies or associations in Nigeria. In this way Abiola reached out and won admiration across the multifarious ethnic and religious divides in Nigeria. 

In addition to his work in Nigeria, Moshood Abiola was a dedicated supporter of the Southern African Liberation movements from the 1970s and he sponsored the campaign to win reparations for slavery and colonialism in Africa and the diaspora. Chief Abiola, personally rallied every African head of state, and every head of state in the black diaspora to ensure that Africans would speak with one voice on the issues.

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