Abiola Dynasty Lashes Out At Widow’s Divisive Call For Yoruba Nation

• Family disowns late MKO Abiola’s widow over separatist declaration

• Son Jamiu dismisses proclamation, says Abiola believed in Nigeria’s unity

• Widow’s status and motives questioned by the Abiola family

Eko Hot Blog reports that in a strong rebuke, the family of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola has distanced itself from the declaration of support for the Yoruba Nation agitators made by one of the late billionaire’s widows, Dupe Onitiri-Abiola.

The family has categorically stated that no member of the Abiola lineage has the right to promote the division of Nigeria, a nation their patriarch firmly believed in.

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The controversy erupted when Onitiri-Abiola, in a viral video circulating on social media, proclaimed the sovereignty of the “Democratic Republic of Yoruba” on April 12, a day before the Yoruba Nation agitators invaded the Oyo State Government secretariat in Ibadan. Speaking in the Yoruba dialect, she declared, “From today, Yoruba land begins its government. It has become the newest nation.”

However, Abiola’s son, Jamiu, who currently serves as the Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties, swiftly dismissed Onitiri-Abiola’s proclamation as not representing the family’s stance. In a statement to Punch, Jamiu urged Nigerians not to take her declaration seriously, stating, “I heard about that, and like almost all Nigerians, I didn’t take her (Onitiri-Abiola) declaration seriously. I have never met her in my life, talk less of knowing her motives. But that is not what is important.”

Jamiu further emphasized that his late father, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, a staunch believer in Nigeria’s unity, never advocated for the country’s division, even after his arrest and incarceration during the annulled 1993 presidential election. “When it comes to Nigeria’s unity, many people know how much my father believed in it. Even after his arrest and incarceration, not once did he advocate for Nigeria’s division. So I don’t believe any Abiola has the right to promote the division of this country,” Jamiu asserted.

The Abiola family member also expressed confidence that his father would have been elated to see his “closest and most highly competent associate,” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now leading the nation and fulfilling the late Abiola’s aspirations for Nigeria.

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Jamiu clarified that while the late M.K.O. Abiola had four official wives, he also had other relationships as a way of taking care of as many people as possible, suggesting that Onitiri-Abiola’s status as a widow may be ambiguous.

The Abiola family’s strong stance against the Yoruba Nation agitators and Onitiri-Abiola’s declaration highlights the complex dynamics surrounding the issue and underscores the family’s unwavering commitment to preserving Nigeria’s unity.

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