Jamiu Abiola, one of the sons of the late MKO Abiola, said on Thursday that Nigeria’s economy would have been much stronger if his father had been allowed to take office as president in 1993. He made this statement during a special forum on Channels Television marking 26 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria.
Jamiu noted that the year 1993 was a unique period globally, as the world was experiencing a significant economic boom. He believes Nigeria could have benefited greatly from this opportunity if democracy had been allowed to flourish. Instead, he said, the country ended up being led by corrupt military rulers.
“Nigeria would have been better because, at that time, it was a very special time in global times; that 1993 period was a time when the world itself was having an international economic boom,” Jamiu said. “So, we could have tapped into that. But what did we get in return? We got a Kleptomaniac as head of state. I am not going to talk about (Sani) Abacha because he has his problems wherever he has found himself.”
The event, which was titled ‘Nigeria’s Democratic Journey: An Inter-Generational Conversation On Building A Better Nation’, brought together various voices reflecting on the country’s progress since democracy was restored.
Jamiu Abiola, who serves as Senior Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Linguistics and Foreign Affairs, expressed concern that some people have tried to erase his father’s role in Nigerian history. He mentioned that this was why he wrote a book in 2015 to ensure that MKO Abiola’s legacy is not forgotten.
“I wrote a book in 2015 because I came to realise that my father’s name was becoming like a memory that was becoming distant and people were hellbent on rewriting the history of Nigeria without him,” he said.
He also pointed out that even foreign leaders often mention other past presidents like Yar’Adua but leave out MKO Abiola’s name, showing how much effort has gone into sidelining his legacy.
“Some people wanted to bury his name. Like my father would say: they wanted to shave his head in his absence. So, I now wrote a book in 2015, ‘The President Who Never Ruled’, so that his name cannot be forgotten,” Jamiu added.
