20 yrs after, Abiola’s 43 children still fighting over father’s assets

Twenty years after the death of Moshood Abiola, who was believed to have won the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the assets he left behind seems to be tearing his family apart, especially his 43 children.

This was as one of the sons, Abdul Mumuni Abiola, has called on his brothers, Kola, Deji and Agboola to desist from “playing god” and be open in handling issues of their father’s assets.

Abiola died in 1998 in the custody of the Federal Government under the ‘rulership’ of General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

But in a statement released by one of his son, Abdul, who is youngest child of the late Kudirat Abiola, the 40 other siblings, accused the late politician’s first son, Kola and two other brothers, Deji and Agboola of preventing them from gaining access to their father’s properties.

According to Adbul, who signed the statement on behalf of the others, the only offence he committed against them was his efforts to revive the abandoned projects, investments and properties of their late father.

“I want my brothers, Kola, Deji, and Agboola to stop playing god with our father’s properties, abandoned projects and investments. I, my brothers and sisters totaling 40 children of Abiola are not fighting with them. We don’t have a bone to pick with them. But we need to step out of the past and out of our father’s shadow. Kola, Deji and Agboola have been peddling lies in the media about my efforts to bring about changes to the dwindling fortunes of the Abiola family.

“I am ashamed, just like my other brothers and sister, to see that after MKO Abiola’s death, many of his legacies appear to be in shambles. No, it shouldn’t be like that. That is not what MKO Abiola stood for while he was alive. I want the good people of Nigeria to prevail on Kola and his cohorts to stop using the police to harass me or those who are working with me to restore the lost glory of the Abiola family.

“Let me cite an example; recently, four men were allegedly arrested and arraigned before a magistrate’s court for breaking into MKO’s bookshop at Oshodi. They were accused of stealing equipment and other materials valued at N1 billion. That is a farce. Deliberately, Kola and Deji ensured that my name was not mentioned in the newspaper that carried the news report”, Abdul said.

Abdul, who explained that his effort to renovate their late father’s properties was not self-driven, wondered why thugs and miscreants are being sent after him and those working with him to renovate late Abiola’s properties.

“Why should that be? Do we have to wash our dirty linen in the public? Why should only a select few of Abiola’s children sit on our father’s properties? I am not even asking them to give me and my other siblings a share of the money-spinning companies of my father that they sit on. Our humble request is that they should allow me and my other siblings, who are interested in renovating Abiola’s derelict properties, (do so). They should allow us to revive MKO Abiola’s abandoned projects.

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“I have been painstakingly patient for 18 years. I have watched with long-suffering and regret how few of my siblings have arrogated to themselves what belong to all of us. MKO Abiola’s properties don’t belong to Kola, Deji and (their) cohorts alone. They belong to all his children. We have been put through enough ignominy by Kola. Enough is enough.”

He added, “I am also informing the public that my life is in danger. I don’t feel safe any longer. If anything untoward happens to me, Nigerians should know who to hold responsible. If anything should happen to me or my siblings, Kola and his cohorts should be held responsible. I love life but I will not sit down cowardly. It is time all of Abiola’s children sat down and discuss what exactly we want to do with our father’s properties and investments. We really don’t want handouts from anybody. We’re MKO Abiola’s children. We must uphold the integrity, fame and humanity of Chief MKO Abiola.”

 

 

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