Nwayanwu Says Abiola’s Troubles Started When He Disobeyed IBB’s Instruction On Choice Of Running Mate

As the country marks the annual June 12 Democracy Day celebrations, the National Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwayanwu has gone down memory lane to narrate how the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola’s political travails with the military junta began.

Speaking during an interview on Africa Independent Television’s ‘Kaakaki’ program on Monday morning, he revealed that Abiola lost the support of the Generals in the Nigerian military after reneging on an agreement he had with the then Head Of State, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida on the choice of a running mate ahead of the June 1993 presidential elections.

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Nwayanwu said that Abiola was told by the military to pick the then President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Paschal Bafyau as the Vice Presidential Candidate on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

After initially agreeing to carry out the instruction, Abiola was said to have reneged at the last minute, opting to go with the SDP’s choice of Ambassador Babagana Kingibe instead.

“Yes, June 12 is something we cannot easily wish away, particularly for those of us who were neck-deep in the ‘Hope 93′ campaign. I think people have explained what happened but I think we missed the point that led the military to withdraw their support from Chief MKO Abiola. In the build-up to the election, when Chief Abiola had signified his interest, he had meetings with Babangida. And IBB told him clearly, that his running mate should be Comrade Paschal Bafyau, who was the President of the NLC at the time. Abiola was told that if he chooses Bafyau, his road to Aso Rock would be smooth. MKO confirmed this part to me because I often resumed at his house at Toyin Street in Ikeja back then.

Abiola later called Paschal Bafyau and told him that he would be unveiled as his SDP vice presidential candidate on Worker’s Day (May 1) in Abuja. And joyfully, Bafyau informed all members of the NLC. All the workers were happy. In fact, on Workers’ Day that year, all of us gathered excitedly in Abuja until 1 pm, waiting for Abiola to arrive, but he did not show up. It was later we heard that he had chosen Babagana Kingibe instead. When we got to Lagos, I asked Chief what had happened, and the reason I got was that the Governors and politicians in the SDP insisted they would never support a ticket with Paschal Bafyau on it. But at that time, the military had sent a signal to all its formations that this was the ticket it would support. I heard this from Chief MKO Abiola himself. So, this was where his problem with IBB and the military started. He failed to honor his agreement with IBB.”