‘Bad belle’ caused MKO Abiola the presidency – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said “bad belle” meaning envy, prevented Chief MKO Abiola from becoming president.

Recall that MKO the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was unable to experience the highest seat of office as forces worked against him.

Obasanjo made this known on Wednesday, January 18, while speaking at a lecture titled “Eyin Ni Iwe Wa: You Are Our Epistle,” which was delivered as part of the centenary celebrations of the Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

According to the stateman, the BBHS has been known to produce prominent Nigerians.

He added that MKO Abiola would have been another former president from the school if ''bad belle'' people did not work against him.

Obasanjo noted that the school also had an impact on the lives of late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, and former judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Prince Bola Ajibola, among others.

He said, “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, MKO 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.

“What all these great products of BBHS have in common is godly virtue inculcated in them by the school. That was education plus. We carry it to anywhere we go as epistle written by BBHS to our families, our communities, our states, our country, and our continent are of Africa and indeed our world.

“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.”

BS