June 12: Lekan Abiola endorse a book

…says it reveals reason father’s mandate was annulled

Alhaji Lekan Abiola one of the sons of the winner of the annulled June 12 election Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola has described a book titled- MKO Abiola Symbol of Democracy written by Dr.Layo Adeniyi as one that reveals more reasons on why his late father’s desire to be the President of Nigeria could not come to fruition.

Speaking at a press conference to herald the official launch of the said book at the Abiola’s residence in Ikeja on Thursday June 12, 2025, Lekan disclosed that the north played a key role in cutting short the dreams of many Nigerians on premise of the northern oligarchy tight grip to power.

Lekan added that the launch will take place in the Abiola’s residence come July 5, 2025 and that former Governor of Ogun state Otunba Olusegun Osoba will chair the epoch making event as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state are expected to grace the launch.

He hinted that though IBB had apologised to the family privately long before publicly acknowledging that his father actually won the June 12 election.

He added that ever since the June 12 annual gathering started IBB had always sent different representatives yearly with messages to the Abiola’s family.

Lekan also called for the payment of debts government owed for contracts already executed by Abiola since 1993.

“ Obasanjo promised to constitute a committee to look into it and make attempt to pay the debts owed but could not,Yar’adua tenure was short lived so he could not pay though he had the intention to.

“ Jonathan too promised that once he gets his second term in office it will be the first thing to do. Buhari did not pay having declare June 12 as democracy day so we feel maybe President Tinubu will pay it.

“ But he should not call only Kola Abiola when that will be paid, but everyone of us to share evenly.”

On the book by Dr. Layo Adeniyi, Lekan said,“I saw how he traced my father’s background and I saw the need to read more, I felt it is very important for Nigerians to also read the book.

“Dr. Adeniyi revealed in the book what made my fathers mission to rule this country impossible.

“He made it clear that my father’s victory had been annulled before the election by people with the principle that power must be held by the north and the north alone.

“What had made me align more with the analysis of Dr Layo Adeniyi was that the news of annulment echoed from the North than any other parts of Nigeria.

“The June 12 struggle is not the struggle of the Abiola family alone many other activists also lost their lives and many more spent long time in detention.

“This is not only an Abiola struggle it is a south south, south east,south west and northern Nigerian struggle.

“Now we’ve had President Obasanjo from Egba south west, President Jonathan from the south south and President Tinubu from the south west, so we now know that all Nigerians have rights and can attain the highest political height in this country owing to the June 12 struggle.

“After reading the manuscript I insisted it must be publicly launched to enrich Nigerians knowledge about how we reach where we are today.

“It is 27 years after my father MKO Abiola died and it is very painful for everyone in the family.”

Dr. Layo Adeniyi however, revealed that the need to deal with the issue of insecurity and unity crisis propelled him to write the book.

“27 years ago on June 12, Abiola the only Nigerian who had ever won election and is not in anyway controversial, but despite his victory he was denied the mandate by the military Junta.

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“Though General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida came out recently revealing the reason behind the annulment.

“ I want to maintain that that is his own version of the story unfortunately Abiola was not available to controvert his claims.

“Those of us who were victims of the history, particularly those who I will call the Graduates of Alagbon University of adversity knows that Abiola won that election but unfortunately was unable to get sworn in as President.

“That informs why I had to write book on what Abiola did, what Kudirat did, what Nigerians in diaspora did and what fellow Nigerians here did to ensure that his mandate was restored.

The most important thing why I think it is necessary to tell th story is that elections in Nigeria has been so free and fair like that of MKO.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo was a Yoruba man and he tried as much as possible to contribute his quota in Nigeria through the ballot but was unable to do it.
Abiola came he succeeded, people gave him the mandate but he was denied by the powers that be.

I am writing the book now to warn the powers that be that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a continuation of Awolowo and that of Abiola, so there should be no denial of for him.

For people to know what goes on in the corridor of the political chess game that is what it is all about.

“When I first wrote the book I had no intention of bringing it out, but when my brother Lekan Abiola saw the manuscript he insisted that this book must be launched so that Nigerians will have access to it.”