Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says ‘bad belle’ — a
pidgin English term for ‘envy’ — thwarted the presidential ambition of MKO
Abiola.
MKO Abiola was the adjudged winner of the June 12, 1993
presidential election which was annulled by the military government headed by
Ibrahim Babangida.
Speaking on Wednesday at the centenary celebration of
Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, Obasanjo said Ogun state should have
produced more presidents if Abiola’s election was not annulled.
He said: “Today, there are distinguished old boys in all
walks of life, i.e., private sector, academia, military and paramilitary, civil
society, traditional rulership, etc. Such is the present president of Old Boys
Association of BBHS, Prof. Kayode Oyesiku.
“I believe that I must not be too forgetful to leave out
yours truly, the son of Obasanjo, a modest war-victorious general and former
military head of state and former President of Nigeria.
“Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the first communication industry
millionaire in Nigeria and the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential
election who was in a class by himself.
“If not for Nigerian bad belle, M.K.O. Abiola would have
been president and with me as president, we would have needed one more old
student of BBHS to be president for us to permanently locate it in BBHS after
three times. And that is a challenge for up-and-coming generations of old
boys.”
Obasanjo also listed several influential alumni of the
school who have gone on to excel in public service and private practice.
He said: “I must not leave out people like Chief Dada who,
after working at FAO, came to work with me as minister of state, agriculture,
and Funsho Kupolokun, who worked with me distinguishingly as group managing
director of NNPC.
“At the state level, I must not forget Gbenga Daniel as
governor of Ogun state. I must not leave out the traditional rulers like Oba
Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland; Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu, the late Olowu
of Owu Kingdom; and Oba Olufemi Omolade, the Olubara of Ibara, my personal
friend and classmate who robbed of me of my cherished groundnut when we were in
school.”
The former president said BBHS Abeokuta has produced a
“galaxy of men and leaders” for Nigeria.
“We collectively and
individually as beneficiaries owe the Southern Baptist Convention in the USA, a
debt of gratitude for their great commission work which had yielded great fruit
in the vineyard of God,” he said.
“Once again, in acknowledging those great early missionaries
who brought Baptist Mission to Nigeria, Rev. Bowen; the great pioneer head of
BBHS, Rev. Pinnock; his great successor, Rev. Patterson and the last American
missionary head, Rev. B. T. Griffin; and the first Nigerian Principal, Mr. E.
L. Akisanya under whose tutelage I grew to become what I am today.”
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