Jamiu Abiola, son of the late Chief MKO Abiola and Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, yesterday, reflected on the emotional weight of losing his parents to the democracy struggle in Nigeria.
Jamiu also revealed that the pain was exacerbated by the many years it took before the Nigerian authorities began to acknowledge his parents’ sacrifices.
MKO Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election, an event seen as a turning point in Nigeria’s democratic development. He died in detention in 1998 after years of political persecution. His wife, Kudirat Abiola, was assassinated in 1996 for her vocal support of the pro-democracy movements.