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NADECO, Obas traded away Abiola�s life � Mubashiru
� Also accuses his running mate, other SDP members
By Dan Alo
Correspondent, Lagos
But for the betrayal by the closest
allies of Moshood Abiola, the adjudged winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential
election would probably be alive today and, in his famous generous self, be
implementing programmes to better the lot of Nigerians.
If he had his way, late Head of
State Sani Abacha would havebecome President with the vibrant Abiola his Prime
Minister. That much was disclosed last week by the brother of the deceased,
Mubashiru.
He also contended that neither
Abacha nor his predecessor Ibrahim Babangida wanted Abiola dead. They did not
kill him, his �so-called friends� plotted and executed his demise, the new head
of the Abiola family insisted in an interview last Thursday.
Now, he is beginning to name names.
In his latest exposure of the layers
of intrigue that cu tshort the life of the business mogul, Mubashiru alleges
that Yoruba monarchs ,members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and
those of Abiola�s Social Democratic Party (SDP) all colluded to hand him over
tothe hangman.
Mubashiru is under flak for his
support for the politicalambition of Babangida and, by extension, he is being
accused of betraying his brother for a plate of porridge from the former
military President, a man with considerable wealth.
But that charge he shrugs off with
an argument as robust as his physique � doing so on two planks. He claims that
the Abiolas and the Babangidas are historical family friends and that his
brother�s death does not and will not have a negative impact on the
relationship.
Mubashiru has courted controversy in
which he seems to revel. He spoke at his residence in Gaa, Abeokuta in a candid
manner that has now become his trade mark.
His words: �IBB explained to me and
my brother thatthere were some elements, even within his own political base,
South West here, who said Abiola could not rule this country. They were hell
bent to make sure he didn�t become President.
�IBB assured us that there could
still be amendments to that annulment; but you see, these politicians, men of
no integrity, were always there to confuse issues. They went as far as
threatening to kill IBB, Abiola and some notable politicians if the election
was not annulled.
�Some first class Yoruba obas,
business men and NADECO chieftains should be held responsible for the
annulment. In fact, they traded away MKO�s life and I stand to challenge
anybody on this issue if it is not so.
�If you remember, when Abacha died,
(Abubakar)Abdusallam called a meeting of NADECO members, SDP leadership and
someprominent Yoruba leaders. We, his family members, were invited too. Before
thestart of the meeting, it was only Bola Ige who made a valid point insisting
that we all must meet with Abiola before we met with themilitary leaders.
�All the while, we were all speaking
in English; but, suddenly, one the politicians who won the June 12 election on
the same ticket as Abiola �
a man who was supposed to be his friend, his running mate for that
matter � rose from his seat,
speaking Hausa to Abdulsallam that he should not allow us see him. Unknown to him that Bola Ige understood
Hausa language. Ige was mad at him and left the venue in anger; but the rest of
us sat back to meet with the military. If we had all left, maybe Abiola
wouldstill be alive today.
�To me, that meeting was called to
test if Abiola�s political base was still intact, but since even the man that
should benearest to him denied him, they knew doing away with Abiola was no big
deal. Itwas barely a week after this meeting that Abiola�s death was announced.
�That was why I decided to lock the
NADECO people outside when they said they wanted to meet in Abiola�s house some
time ago. They are disloyal people�.
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