Bad ‘belle’ stopped Abiola from becoming Nigeria’s president – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday said ‘bad belle’ (hatred) led to the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and denied the presumed winner, the late business mogul, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, from becoming Nigeria’s president.

Obasanjo, who spoke at the 46th President Party of Abeokuta Club, held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during his investiture as a trustee of the Abeokuta Club, said the annulment robbed Egbaland and Ogun State the rare privilege of having three of its prominent sons occupying the number one leadership position in the country since  Independence.

Apart from him, the Head of Interim National Government, Ernest Shonekan, is also from the state.

He said Abiola would have become the third, if 1993 poll was not annulled.

Obasanjo described Abiola, who was also awarded a posthumous award as vice patron of the club, as his school mate at the Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta.

According him, Abiola richly deserved the award bestowed on him by the club.

Obasanjo said “I want to thank the (Abeokuta) club for this honour being bestowed on me and the honour being bestowed on my school mate MKO Abiola which he richly deserved.

“Kabiyesi, the Alake (of Egbaland) alluded to it. 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 heritage.”

Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo,  while presenting the plague to Obasanjo, described Obasanjo and MKO Abiola as proud sons of Abeokuta.