Jamiu Abiola, son of late Chief MKO Abiola and Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, says Nigeria delayed too long in recognizing the ultimate sacrifice his parents made for the country’s democracy.
In a recent televised interview, Jamiu recalled the emotional toll of losing both parents in the 1990s and the silence that followed. “For years, it felt like my father was erased from history. It was painful not just as a son, but as a Nigerian,” he said.
MKO Abiola won the June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, but the result was annulled. He was later arrested for declaring himself president and died in military custody in 1998. His wife, Kudirat Abiola, a strong pro-democracy voice, was assassinated in 1996.
Jamiu credited former President Muhammadu Buhari for taking a bold step in 2018 by declaring June 12 as Democracy Day and posthumously awarding MKO the GCFR, Nigeria’s highest national honour. “That act finally restored my father’s place in national memory,” he said.
He also praised President Bola Tinubu for posthumously honouring his mother, Kudirat Abiola, with the CFR title. “Tinubu has always stood by our family, even before it was popular to do so,” he noted.
Reflecting on his father’s legacy, Jamiu lamented that MKO’s pan-Nigerian appeal faded into a regional memory after the annulment. “This isn’t just about our family. It’s about preserving the truth in our national story. Honouring real heroes inspires future generations.”
