The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Linguistics and Foreign Matters, Jamiu Abiola, who is the son of the late business mogul and acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, speaks with DANIEL AYANTOYE on the involvement of President Bola Tinubu in the June 12 struggle.

How true is the claim of former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, that Senator Bola Tinubu (now President) supported the annulment of June 12, 1999 presidential election, and that his mother mobilised market women to support the cancellation?

That claim is not only false, but insulting to Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji’s legacy. She was a respected leader of the Lagos Market Women’s Association. Had she openly supported the annulment, her position would have been instantly rejected by the traders, majority of whom supported MKO Abiola’s electoral victory. What people don’t talk about is how she actually petitioned Babangida to rescind the annulment. In one of the lesser-known but deeply symbolic acts, she reportedly removed her headscarf in public while pleading with Babangida, an emotional gesture captured in photographs and remembered by many in Abuja at the time. So again, these stories being thrown around are not supported by facts. I have had the privilege of meeting her several times and sadly, I wish there had been more people like her and her son during those sensitive times.

How many people could Abacha have killed? The only reason my mother was an easy target was because she and a very few others were lone rangers. But people like the president’s mother were hard to find. As someone whose parents paid the highest price for that struggle, President Tinubu was vocal and visible from the very beginning. As a senator in 1993, he publicly condemned the annulment on the Senate floor, calling it another coup d’etat. That was on August 19, 1993, and the records are there for anyone to verify.

Was that all he did?

You would recall that most politicians were silent then, including those shouting today. Many were part of the establishment and chose to compromise, but Tinubu took the opposite route. He helped organise mass protests immediately after the annulment. He provided logistics for my father’s safe return to Nigeria after a long stay abroad in 1993. Unlike others, he did not feel that my wealthy father should bear the financial burden of the resistance on his own. Tinubu’s home was bombed by regime loyalists. This was obviously not someone sitting on the fence or playing both sides. He was putting himself on the frontlines from day one. Thus, he paid such a huge price and needed to escape in order to continue the struggle from abroad which is exactly what he did. I was a witness because back then, I lived in the United States. One day, I was in his house in Maryland, and a man came out of a room. I did not know who he was. He introduced himself as Pa Adesanya and when I told him who I was, he went on to tell me how he was wrongly arrested for my mother’s killing and how Tinubu was sponsoring the political struggle and looking out for people like him. It was an encounter I would never forget. I learnt so much about the struggle that day and was convinced more than ever that my mother’s death would not bring it to an end.

Was Tinubu’s involvement consistent from the outset, or did it only become more pronounced during Abacha’s regime?

It was consistent from the start and only deepened with time. After Abacha sacked the interim government and dissolved the legislature in November 1993, Tinubu and other senators took the bold step of reconvening in Lagos. That defiance led to his arrest. He was detained and pressured to abandon the struggle but he didn’t. Tinubu was also a very instrumental figure in NADECO (the National Democratic Coalition) which became the heart of the democratic resistance. He was even among the few who were bold enough to follow my father to see Abacha. They could have been killed on the spot because Abacha could do anything then. When things got too dangerous, Tinubu fled into exile, where he continued to fund and coordinate resistance efforts. He didn’t just speak out; he built networks, sustained funding for activism, and kept the issue alive internationally. My mom and maybe only two others knew when he was going. I wish she had gone with him but who would have thought a woman could be killed when Winnie Mandela did what she was doing for a much longer period? Nigerians should not be deceived; they are lucky to have an activist as President for the first time since independence. The President is honest and straightforward, and has never supported the annulment of the June 12 election or lobbied for any position under Abacha as some have alleged.

In exile, Tinubu co-sponsored and supported groups like NALICON (National Liberation Council of Nigeria) and remained one of the movement’s key financiers. He worked with international media, human rights groups, and Nigerian activists in the diaspora to maintain pressure on the military regime. He also lobbied US policymakers, European non-governmental organisations, and journalists. He was not passive in exile. To him, being abroad was an opportunity to amplify the struggle for democracy in Nigeria. In addition, many activists who remained in Nigeria at that time were supported directly or indirectly by the resources he provided, particularly after my mother was killed. That is something people making these false claims will not like to acknowledge or remember. Well, I am here to remind the public, and this is why I wrote two books about the June 12 struggle. No one should try to distort the facts about the June 12 struggle ever again.

Looking beyond June 12, some have criticised Tinubu’s role in democracy. How committed is the President to democratic values?

A lot. One of the clearest examples was his resistance to a third-term agenda. That would have effectively ended Nigerian constitutional democracy. Tinubu rallied governors, lawmakers, and civil society to oppose the move. At great political risk, he stood firm against it, and that effort succeeded. Nigerians owe part of the survival of term limits to him. As governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, he defended the federal structure. When the Federal Government withheld Lagos’ local government allocations, Tinubu did not buckle. He went to court. He also set up Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and other state institutions that expanded governance capacity and accountability. That is real democracy; strengthening institutions, not just making speeches.

But his critics still argue that this administration doesn’t reflect those same democratic ideals.

Democracy is not perfection but a process to which President Tinubu remains firmly committed. He threw his full weight behind June 12, becoming Nigeria’s Democracy Day in 2018 in his capacitor as the national leader of the All Progressives Congress. June 12 was being celebrated in Lagos with much prominence from 1999 when Tinubu became the governor. He has also been unwavering in his support for press freedom and electoral reform. Under his leadership, June 12 is now not just symbolic, it is a day that reflects our collective journey and redemption. On June 12 this year, he granted presidential pardons to the Ogoni Nine, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, a step past governments were unwilling to take. These are not mere gestures; they show a president who respects memories, justice, and reconciliation.

As the son of MKO and Kudirat Abiola, what does Tinubu’s story mean to you?

My father died for the June 12 mandate. My mother was assassinated fighting for its restoration. I know who stood with us when it mattered. President Tinubu was one of those who did, loudly, repeatedly, and at great personal cost. He didn’t wait for history to be written before joining the cause as is the case of many people who served in a government in which my parents were ignore but chose to keep quiet. He continues to honour the June 12 struggle, not just in word, but in how he led. Just recently, he honoured my late mother, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, with a Commander of the Federal Republic award, recognising her sacrifice in the most dignified way. That same day, he also honoured Pa Alfred Rewane, Anthony Enahoro, Chima Ubani, Beko Ransome-Kuti, and others who gave everything for Nigeria’s democracy. It meant a lot, not just to me, but to the nation. These are not the actions of someone disconnected from the democratic struggle. These are the actions of someone who remembers, who respects, and who leads with that history in his heart and mind. On a personal note, he flew me to Maiduguri when I was getting married in 1999. He arrived at the airport before me and I even slept in his house in Alausa in order to arrive at the airport on time. These are actions done by the best of people and this kind of person is the right individual to lead Nigeria for the next six years. (Saturday PUNCH)