“66 of Abiola’s ‘Children’ Failed DNA Test” – Olalekan Abiola

As Nigeria marked the 32nd anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Olalekan Abiola, son of the late Chief MKO Abiola, revealed startling details about family struggles and lingering federal debts owed to his father. Speaking from the Abiola residence in Ikeja, Lagos, Olalekan recounted decades of trauma following the assassination of his mother and the death of his father in detention, describing it as a “painful loss” rooted in the June 12 struggle.

Olalekan disclosed that 120 people came forward claiming to be children of MKO Abiola, but DNA tests ordered by his father’s will proved that 66 of them were not. He described how many women, often seeking financial help, presented themselves and their children as part of the Abiola family during MKO’s lifetime.

He lamented that successive governments, from Obasanjo to Buhari, promised but failed to repay debts owed to MKO’s companies by federal ministries, including Communications, Education, and Defense. While expressing hope that President Bola Tinubu would address the matter, he urged the government to fully recognize MKO as an elected president, pay all entitlements due to his estate, and place his portrait among past presidents in the Presidential Villa.

Olalekan also criticized his brother Kola Abiola for failing to unify MKO’s numerous children, noting that Kola appeared more focused on his immediate maternal siblings rather than the larger Abiola family.

Reflecting on the broader impact of June 12, Olalekan said Nigeria’s democracy has come a long way, crediting his father as a pathfinder who paved the way for today’s multi-ethnic political equity. He also called for future power shifts to the South-East to foster continued balance in the nation.