Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday, says the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election presumably won by late business mogul, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, was caused by hatred.
Obasanjo said Abiola was his schoolmate at the Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta
He lamented that the cancellation of the June 12 election had robbed of the Egbaland, the rare opportunity to have three of its prominent sons occupy the seat of the president, at different times.
The former president spoke on Sunday in Abeokuta during the investiture of Obasanjo as a Trustee of the Abeokuta Club, a sociocultural organisation of Egba people of Ogun State.
The late business mogul was also awarded a posthumous Vice-Patron of the Club during its 46th President Party held at the secretariat in Abeokuta.
According to Obasanjo, Abiola richly deserved the award bestowed on him by the Abeokuta Club.
Obasanjo who was apparently referring to former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, himself who ruled Nigeria, first, as a military Head of State and later two-time civilian president, noted that Abiola would have become the third if 1993 poll was not cancelled.
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 (hatred), 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.”
Obasanjo, however, pledged his commitment to the development to the Club, Ogun state, Nigeria and the world.
He added, “I want to say this, I will continue to contribute my quota to the development and growth of this club and by extension, the development and growth of Abeokuta, of Ogun State, of Nigeria, of African and indeed the of the world in whichever way I could.”
Earlier, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, described Obasanjo and MKO Abiola as proud sons of Abeokuta.
The monarch said some “bad blood” didn’t allow Abiola to become President.
