IBB, Obasanjo should bury their heads in shame

At the investiture ceremony in honour of the late Chief MKO Abiola at the presidential villa on June 12, 2018, former Presidents Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) and Olusegun Obasanjo were ‘unavoidably absent.

I would have been shocked if they had shown up for the ceremony.

IBB said he couldn’t show up for health reasons. Obasanjo said he was away in Norway for the 2018 Africa Food Prizewhich honours achievements in African agriculture.

It’s a shame that one of them called in sick and the other flew out of the country before the day Abiola and other heroes of June 12 were going to be honoured. But we can understand. There's still some shame among.....

Even though IBB has apologized to the Abiola family because, according to him, his life was threatened back in 1993, history will never forget that he annulled Nigeria’s freest and fairest election to this day. The buck stopped at his desk as military president and the self-acclaimed ‘evil genius’ must continue to shoulder a chunk of the blame for the annulment.

As for Obasanjo, he had 8 years to recognize Abiola as the winner of the June 12, 1993 election and tender an apology to the MKO family and Nigerians for the injustice. But his ego wouldn't let him be great.

Obasanjo was the military’s handpicked choice after the 1993 robbery of MKO and Nigerians. Obasanjo was the one the power elite settled for to placate the Southwest after the injustice done Abiola. Ironically, from 1999 to 2007, Obasanjo refused to mention Abiola's name and refused to acknowledge the significance of June 12.

Between Obasanjo and IBB is the problem with the leadership and political elite of this great nation. Since the nation’s independence in 1960, a clique of persons who decide who rules Nigeria, have arrogated to themselves the power to insult our collective sensibilities. Obasanjo and IBB are key players of this elite clique.

It was emotional to watch on Tuesday as another member of that clique, President Buhari, tendered an unreserved apology to the MKO family on behalf of the federal government, for the June 12 robbery. It was a wise step from Buhari because we can’t move forward as a nation until we address the injustice and hurt done to our people. The federal government singlehanded killed Abiola. There's no sugarcoating that one.

IBB and Obasanjo both had the opportunity to right the wrongs of June 12. Instead, they sensationally blew it. Hopefully, someday, they publicly tender their respective unreserved apologies for their ignominious roles in the June 12 debacle.

After Buhari’s apology, now is the time to heal and strengthen our democracy because that’s what June 12 stands for; that was all Abiola and all the progressives of the ‘90s really wanted.

Continue to rest in peace, MKO and shame on you, IBB and Obasanjo.