Barely two days after Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga dismissed former Foreign Affairs Minister Sule Lamido as a liar for claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu supported the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, research has provided seeming evidence in vindication of the erstwhile Jigawa State governor. An online search produced a June 12, 2019 report by TheSOURCE weekly magazine in which Kola Abiola, first son of the June 12 election winner, late MKO Abiola, declared unequivocally that then Senator Tinubu lobbied military dictator Sani Abacha for appointment. According to Kola, Tinubu joined the June 12 struggle only after late General Abacha refused to grant his request. The report is reproduced below:

Tinubu asked Abacha to make him a Commissioner in Lagos – Kola Abiola

Kola Abiola, first son of the presumed winner of the June 12 Presidential election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, has dropped ‘De Bomb’

Kola’s father died in military detention while fighting for the presidential mandate, which he won, free and square, but which was denied him by the military government under General Ibrahim Babangida. Abiola was, subsequently, thrown into detention by the Nigerian government under the late General Sani Abacha.

In his first major interview since the sad events which followed the annulment of the election, Kola revealed a lot which would, at once, ruffle feathers, and shock many people.

Speaking to the Saturday Sun, in an interview published on the maiden celebration of the now annual federal holiday declared in his father’s honour by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, Kola dismissed, with a wave of the hand, almost, a number of those who claim today to have fought for the validation of his father’s. He called them noise makers, and hints his father’s date was a collective conspiracy.

But one of the most sensational revelations he made was on Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos state, and the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Tinubu was always seen as one of those who fought Abacha for Abiola’s mandate. He was also a member of NADECO, a group which fought the Abacha government.

But in the interview, Kola disclosed that Tinubu joined NADECO only when Abacha refused to grant him any of the favours he wanted from him. At the beginning, he said, Tinubu was with the Shehu Yar’Adua group, and they related with the group. But he was quick to add that the situation changed post-election when Abacha arrived the scene.

Tinubu, he revealed, began to ask Abacha for a position in his, (Abacha’s) government. Civilian Administrator for Lagos. Deputy to the Military Administrator. And finally, a Commissioner in Lagos.

Kola: "When Abacha came, one of the things he (Tinubu) wanted to do was to be appointed the Administrator for Lagos.

“He was hoping that there would be civilian administrators like we had under IBB. But Abacha said no, that he was going to have military administrators. So, he (Tinubu) said okay, in that case can’t I be a deputy administrator? But Abacha said there wouldn’t be deputies. Then, he wanted the post of a Commissioner.”

Perhaps, Tinubu would have been appointed a Commissioner, but Kola disclosed that the choice was between him (Tinubu) and a close ally of former Lagos state Governor, Lateef Jakande. Apparently, Jakande’s ally was preferred to him, and Tinubu lost out.

Kola: "It was a contest between him and somebody very close to Jakande. I can’t remember his name now, but really, that guy was picked as a Commissioner.

“So, once he (Tinubu) lost out, automatically, he became a NADECO member.”

Kola promises to reveal more on Tinubu’s stand on issues, but says all that will be contained in his documentary.

What happened to his father’s mandate and June 12, he insists “was a collective conspiracy”.