Sowore Shares Untold Story of His Encounters With MKO Abiola

 

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has shared details of his encounters with the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, revealing how he once turned down a cash offer from the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

In a post shared on social media, Sowore said he met or encountered Abiola on four different occasions, but described only one of them as a true meeting in the fullest sense.

According to him, the first encounter occurred during an interview conducted by Channels Television founder, John Momoh, where he stood behind Abiola alongside the late nationalist and pro-democracy advocate, Chief Anthony Enahoro.

Sowore recalled that during the encounter, Abiola noticed him and offered him a substantial amount of money. However, he said he politely declined the offer and instead used the opportunity to caution the late politician about what he described as sycophants and opportunists surrounding him.

The activist said the second encounter took place on November 10, 1993, shortly after a court ruling declared the Interim National Government led by Chief Ernest Shonekan illegal. He claimed that after returning from court, he climbed over Abiola's fence and spoke with him from the other side, again warning him about some individuals within his circle.

Sowore further recounted that his third encounter with Abiola was when the politician returned to Nigeria from a brief period abroad aboard an Air France flight. Although he could not get close to him at the airport, he said he mobilized a large number of students to welcome him back to the country.

According to Sowore, his final encounter with Abiola came at the late politician's burial after his death in detention in 1998.

Reflecting on the experiences, Sowore maintained that only the first encounter qualified as a genuine meeting because it involved direct interaction with Abiola.

Chief MKO Abiola remains one of the most significant figures in Nigeria's democratic history and is widely celebrated for his role in the June 12 struggle, which eventually contributed to the country's return to democratic rule.