Nigerian investigative journalist David Hundeyin has alleged that the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, commonly known as MKO Abiola, amassed his wealth through dubious means. Hundeyin made these claims during a podcast interview with Noble Nigeria.
Hundeyin, who has also accused President Bola Tinubu of accumulating wealth through illegal activities, drew parallels between Tinubu and Abiola, suggesting that both men engaged in similar practices. “Before Tinubu, there was the original Tinubu who went by the name MKO Abiola, and despite all of his wealth and all of his money, his money was made under similar circumstances, by the way, because MKO was also a criminal. Let’s be clear about that,” Hundeyin stated.
He further alleged, “There is no type of illegal activity that man was not involved in. Gun running, coup financing, smuggling of illegal or illegal commodities—his hand was inside, and he made a fantastic fortune.” Hundeyin claimed that Abiola was involved in various illegal activities between 1978 and 1992.
Additionally, Hundeyin blamed Abiola for delaying Nigeria’s telecommunications development, alleging that Abiola secured a substantial contract to provide the backbone for telephones in Nigeria, which turned out to be a scam. “He basically got a huge contract to provide the backbone for telephones in Nigeria, and it turned out to be a contract scam because he just pocketed the money and did not do the work,” Hundeyin claimed.
MKO Abiola, who passed away on July 7, 1998, in Abuja, Nigeria, was a business executive, philanthropist, and politician celebrated as a symbol of democratic change in Nigeria. He ran as the presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party in the 1993 elections, which were described as the freest and fairest in Nigerian history. However, the election results were annulled by then-military leader Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, sparking a political crisis. Abiola was subsequently arrested in 1994 by Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime on charges of treason.
Abiola endured solitary confinement and poor medical care during his imprisonment. His release seemed likely following Gen. Abacha’s death in June 1998, but Abiola died under mysterious circumstances shortly thereafter. While a heart attack was officially declared as the cause of death, suspicions of foul play persisted.
