27 years on: Hafsat Abiola, Odumakin lead emotional tribute to MKO

Twenty-seven years after the death of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, two prominent pro-democracy advocates, have paid glowing tribute to the late icon, urging Nigerians to unite and continue the national struggle against poverty and injustice.

The activists are Dr. Hafsat Abiola, President of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), and Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, President of Women Arise.

In a heartfelt joint statement titled “MKO: 27 Years After,” the activists reflected on Abiola’s remarkable journey from humble beginnings to becoming a symbol of democratic resistance and selfless patriotism.

“He came like a dream and lived as a legend,” the statement began. “A child born into poverty but surrounded by a wealth of culture and community from an early age, he understood that the greatest glory came from serving people.”

The statement recounted how Abiola, a Muslim, thrived at Baptist Boys High School, benefiting from missionary scholarships, and went on to make history by placing fourth in the international chartered accountancy exam in England-a feat that cemented his reputation for brilliance and resilience.

They said despite the lure of international success, Abiola chose Nigeria as his stage, dedicating his life to nation-building through business, philanthropy, and, ultimately, politics.

“He would have been a success anywhere, but like many patriotic Nigerians of his time, he chose Nigeria for his stage. And what a stage it was, marked by feats of business success and prodigious philanthropy,” they stated.

According to the statement, his final years were defined by a bold attempt to liberate Nigeria from poverty through the ballot box—a quest that ended in detention and death following the annulment of the 1993 election widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest.

“If there was a final test that caused a man that seemed to be an unstoppable force of nature to stumble, it was the quest to ensure that Nigerians would say farewell to poverty,” they added.

“That his final chapter culminated in the pursuit of a better Nigeria for all probably defined him best.”

Against the backdrop of Nigeria’s present-day challenges-rising insecurity, growing disillusionment, and deepening divisions, the activists urged citizens to remember that Abiola’s struggle was not for personal glory but a united, prosperous Nigeria.

“As divided as the country may be today, fractured and riven by suspicion and fear; as dispirited as many citizens may feel when confronted by the lack of visible progress, we would do well to remember that the unity some threaten to upend may be a precondition for winning the fight for our country and its future,” the statement warned.

They also emphasised that the fight to end poverty cannot rest on the shoulders of one man alone, not even one as brilliant and blessed as MKO Abiola, but is a shared national duty.

“The quest to end poverty in Nigeria isn’t for one man, whether MKO or whoever leads our country, but for us all.”