Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former President, on Sunday said ‘bad belle’ prevented late Moshood Abiola from becoming the third president to have come from Ogun State.
Former Military President, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) annulled the June 12, 1993 Presidential election won by Abiola.
But Obasanjo, said ‘bad belle’ from IBB and others denied Abiola from becoming president.
He spoke on Sunday in Abeokuta, Ogun State shortly after his investiture as a trustee of the Abeokuta Club, a sociocultural organisation of Egba people of Ogun State.
Obasanjo saw himself and former Interim President, Chief Ernest Shonekan as two former presidents who have emerged from Ogun State.
He said Abiola would have been the third president from Ogun if not for ‘bad belle.’
Obasanjo was honoured alongside MKO Abiola who was awarded a posthumous vice-patron of the club.
According to Obasanjo, when Abeokuta Club was in the process of being birthed, things in Abeokuta were not as rosy as they were today and that the sons of Abeokuta who were in Lagos put their heads together in late Chief Sobo Sowemimo’s house to think of what they could do to improve the development of Abeokuta as a city.
He thanked the club for this honour being bestowed on him and the honour being bestowed on his school mate, 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, Abeokuta would have produced President of Nigeria three times, in which case we should have kept it permanently,” he said.
“But be that as it may, we have a great heritage. And we should be proud of our heritage. On this note, I will say on this occasion, I thank the President, the patron and grand patron, members of Board of Trustees, the executive,” he added.
According to The Nation, Obasanjo said he would continue to contribute his 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 world in whichever way he could.
