Moshood Abiola

Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (often referred to as M. K. O. Abiola, August 24, 1937 - July 7, 1998) was a Nigerian Yoruba businessman, publisher and politician, though he was an accountant by training. He ran for the presidency in 1993, and won, but was denied the opportunity to become President when the election results were annulled by a court during the regime of Ibrahim Babangida.

Early life and career

Each and every one of us has our time to keep with destiny. We all want to succeed in life. It took some to make it in the twilight of their time; others made it in the midlife while some hit it early in their prime. Some never made it at all before departing this world. In the words of the renowned British bard William Shakespeare, some inherited success while some achieved it. Some were born into riches; some made it by sheer luck others through hard work and doggedness while fortunes smiled on some by unexplainable circumstances. But in all, the Good Lord Almighty made it to happen as the Teacher told us in the Book of Life. Abiola was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State. His name, Kashimawo, means "Lets wait and see". His early career was with the ITT Corporation, where he later rose to the position of Vice President, Africa and Middle-East. Abiola built a vast business empire consisting of an airline, publishing company, farms, shipping line, bookshops, oil company, bank, to name a few. Abiola, along with ex-military leader Olusegun Obasanjo, was "name-dropped" at the end of musician Fela Kuti's 25-minute political screed "International Thief Thief", which led to Fela's arrest in 1983 on faked currency charges. There is no evidence to suggest that Moshood Abiola had anything to do with Fela's arrest.

Presidential elections

In the presidential elections of June 12, 1993, Abiola was the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (his running mate was Baba Gana Kingibe) and overwhelmingly defeated his northern rival, Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention. However, the election was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida, and subsequent events led to General Sani Abacha seizing power later that year. When Abiola declared himself the lawful president of Nigeria, he was accused of treason and imprisoned. He is widely believed to have won what was considered to have been Nigeria's freest and fairest presidential election. He has been referred to as Nigeria's greatest statesman, but in a country with a history of political corruption, it is impossible to say how far Moshood Abiola would have gone in overhauling the system, as he died before ever getting to the Presidency. However, given his track record for philanthropy and generosity, which was doled out without discrimination, both inside and outside of Nigeria. Plus the military's unwillingness to allow him to ascend to the Presidency, he was likely to have been very much in favour of the Nigerian masses. Moshood Abiola was criticised for being close to the military, however the way that he was treated by them after winning the June 12 elections, most likely indicates that the relationship was superficial at best.

Detention and death

Abiola's wife, Kudirat, was murdered in a drive-by shooting in her car, for her dogged pursuit for the actualization of the perceived electoral mandate of her husband. His daughter, Hafsat Abiola, later became a democracy activist and founded the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy in honor of her mother.

Shortly after the death of Abacha, Abiola himself succumbed to a heart attack while meeting an American delegation in prison on July 7, 1998. Ironically, this was also the day he was due to be released from imprisonment. Though there is little evidence to support it, some conspiracy theorists in Nigeria allege that his death (and possibly Abacha's) was masterminded by the American CIA.