Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday said if not for “bad belle” – Nigerian colloquial for bad blood, the late philanthropist, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola would have become Nigerian President after the June 12, 1993 presidential election he presumably won.
Obasanjo, 85, said this during a speech at the Centenary Celebrations of Baptist Boys’ High School (BBHS) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. His speech was titled, ‘Eyin Ni Iwe Wa: You Are Our Epistle’.
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The comment of the octogenarian former military head of state and ex-civilian president comes about three decades after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election by then head of state, Ibrahim Babangida. His comment also comes just a few weeks to the February 25, 2023 presidential election. This is, however, not the first time he would make a public comment on the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election; he made similar comment at a function in Abeokuta in April 2021.
Obasanjo, on Wednesday, expressed gratitude to the school for producing galaxy of men and leaders like himself and MKO Abiola amongst hundreds of others.
He challenged the up-and-coming generations of the old boys to aspire the office of the President to make it three times the school produced Nigerian Presidents after himself and former Head of Interim National Government, Ernest Shonekan.
Obasanjo noted;
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.
The former President also commended the missionaries of the Southern Baptist Convention in the United States for their “Great Commission work” which saw the establishment of the school as part of the development of Nigeria.
He said without BBHS, he would not have been what he is today.
He explained;
Again, reminding us always of our character and conduct. We could proudly say BBHS with education plus. And for me, it stood me in good stead throughout my life so far. Without BBHS, I would not have been what I am,
We must impact with humility, honesty, integrity, wisdom, courage, competence and fear of God – these must continue to be our characteristics and our attributes to make a change for good wherever we are. We must be different.
Unarguably one of the prestigious global citizens from Africa, Obasanjo was Nigerian military head of state between February 1976 and October 1979 as well as the country’s democratically elected President between 1999 and 2007.
