'Abiola deserves to be honoured, he sacrificed for Nigeria' - Olusegun Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, said the  late business mogul and undeclared winner of the June 12,  1993  presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, deserves to be honoured,   saying he  sacrificed for Nigeria. 
Obasanjo, who spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun   State capital, at the   fourth Founder’s Day celebrations and 85th birthday of the founder/patron of the Nobel House College, Chief Olatunde Abudu, lamented  that Abiola was denied being the President of the country due to what he called ‘bad belle’.

The former President, was reacting to a statement by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun   Aremu   Gbadebo, who said bad ‘belle’ robbed   Ogun of producing three Presidents. Obasanjo acknowledged   the contribution of  Abiola to the development of Nigeria in all areas of human endeavours, saying the late politician  sacrificed a lot  for  the development of the country.

Obasanjo, a  special guest of honour at the event, spoke  in the presence of a  former Head of Interim National Government,   Chief Ernest   Shonekan; a  former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice,   Prince Bola Ajibola;  governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; and some traditional rulers.

Others dignitaries at the event include Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Lekan Alli, Major General Oluwole Rotimi (retd) and   Chief (Mrs) Ayora Kuforiji-Olubi. The remarks came days to the 15th anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 election, as Obasanjo acknowledged that Ogun has produced  many firsts in  different spheres of life. According to the former President, Abiola contributed to the development of  Nigeria,

“Yes, I agree,   Abeokuta would have produced a third President if not for bad ‘belle’. They did not allow him to be President,” he stated. “He deserved to be honoured   because he sacrificed   for Nigeria. “
Also speaking, Amosun stressed the essence of developing the education sector by all stakeholders, maintaining that government  should provide the enabling environment for its growth.