Olalekan Abiola, one of the sons of the late Chief MKO Abiola, has revealed that 66 people who claimed to be children of the late politician failed a DNA test ordered in his will.
He said only 54 out of about 120 people passed the test, showing how many women had claimed to have children for Abiola.
Speaking during an interview with Vanguard at the family’s Ikeja residence as Nigeria marked the 32nd anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 election, Olalekan said many women who benefited from Abiola’s charity later brought children and claimed he fathered them.
“My father used to help a lot of women. Some of them came with children and said their husbands had abandoned them. He would get them apartments and take care of their needs. They started calling themselves ‘Mrs Abiola’ and changed their children’s names too. That’s why my father said in his will that all those claiming to be his children must take a DNA test,” he said.
Olalekan also spoke about the painful loss of both parents, saying the death of his mother, who was shot, hit harder than his father’s death in detention. “One minute my mom was fine, the next minute she had been shot. That was more traumatic. With my dad, we had already not seen him for four years while he was in detention,” he said.
He added that although they received some help when democracy returned in 1999, most promises from the government to repay debts owed to MKO’s businesses were never fulfilled. He mentioned the Ministry of Communications, Education, and Defense as some of the agencies that owed MKO’s companies.
Olalekan also shared that past presidents including Obasanjo, Jonathan, and Buhari promised to pay the debts but none followed through. He said President Tinubu has not made any promises yet but expressed hope that the current government would do an audit and pay what is owed.
He described his father as a religious and charitable man who never drank or partied and always gave to the poor. “He used to say, ‘I’m not carrying this money anywhere. Let me help people,’” Olalekan recalled.
Calling for further recognition of MKO’s legacy, Olalekan urged the government to hang his picture in the Presidential Villa among past presidents. He also asked that the entitlements and benefits due to MKO as a president be paid to the family. “If people like Abacha and Babangida have their pictures there, why not MKO who won a free and fair election?” he said.
He also said MKO’s will should be respected by law and all his unpaid dues should be cleared. He expressed disappointment in his older brother Kola Abiola, saying he had failed to unite all of MKO’s children and only cared about those from his own mother.
On the future of Nigeria’s democracy, Olalekan said June 12 brought about change and unity. He said the country has now enjoyed 26 years of continuous democracy and believes future leadership should focus on fairness. “Next time the presidency comes to the South, it should go to the South-East,” he added.
