“You are only forty-two years old. You are too young
to be facing these challenges”
to be facing these challenges”
Mama Alhaja, Kudirat’s
mother, was reacting to what her daughter had just told her. She found it hard
to believe that her son-in-law was about to take such a serious risk. She
wanted to talk Moshood out of it but Kudirat told her that her attempt
would be fruitless because her husband had made up his mind. Mama
Alhaja thus focused on her daughter. “Your husband is a man. If he has made up his mind then as a woman all
you can do is pray for him, keeping in mind that your children must be utmost
on your mind. You have to make sure that you don’t put your life in danger for
their sake.”
mother, was reacting to what her daughter had just told her. She found it hard
to believe that her son-in-law was about to take such a serious risk. She
wanted to talk Moshood out of it but Kudirat told her that her attempt
would be fruitless because her husband had made up his mind. Mama
Alhaja thus focused on her daughter. “Your husband is a man. If he has made up his mind then as a woman all
you can do is pray for him, keeping in mind that your children must be utmost
on your mind. You have to make sure that you don’t put your life in danger for
their sake.”
Kudirat was not happy
to hear that. “I can’t abandon my
husband. He needs me and I have to be there for him. How I wish you saw him
just an hour ago. This crisis is chewing at him from the inside”. Her
mother sighed. “Of course I am not asking
you to abandon him. That is not how I brought you up. But what can you really
do? What I mean is that you should support him discreetly. Not out there in the
open or in the press. I am sure that you don’t want the government to make you
a target and plot against you. This is a man’s fight”.
to hear that. “I can’t abandon my
husband. He needs me and I have to be there for him. How I wish you saw him
just an hour ago. This crisis is chewing at him from the inside”. Her
mother sighed. “Of course I am not asking
you to abandon him. That is not how I brought you up. But what can you really
do? What I mean is that you should support him discreetly. Not out there in the
open or in the press. I am sure that you don’t want the government to make you
a target and plot against you. This is a man’s fight”.
Kudirat knew that her
mother was right. The elderly woman was always right. She had been Kudirat’s
most valuable source of advice since her marriage to Moshood almost twenty-one
years ago. Kudirat decided to do as her mother had advised. She would keep
her supportive role out of the public eye, although a part of her wanted to
confront the government directly. For the first time in her life she felt a
strong urge to be an activist.
mother was right. The elderly woman was always right. She had been Kudirat’s
most valuable source of advice since her marriage to Moshood almost twenty-one
years ago. Kudirat decided to do as her mother had advised. She would keep
her supportive role out of the public eye, although a part of her wanted to
confront the government directly. For the first time in her life she felt a
strong urge to be an activist.
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“Over six hundred hostile-looking policemen
surrounded his neighborhood. He was supposed to be their only target but they
were overzealous.They even tried to stop two of Kudirat’s children from going to school one morning but backed down
after Kudirat confronted them. And
as the anniversary of the presidential elections drew closer, the government
sent more reinforcements to Moshood’s
house”
Jamiu Abiola wants the World to read about the true story of his dad |
mood had improved when she left her mother’s room, it started to deteriorate
again when she recalled the words of her close friends. Most of them had
continuously emphasized that Kudirat should make her children her
only priority; reminding her that she was not her husband’s only wife. One day
one of her friends even told her something that shocked her during the
presidential campaign. “I don’t know what
you are made of but if it is from the same material that I am made of, you
should not be working so hard for a man with wives other than you and children
other than yours”.
MKO & Kudirat Abiola; First Nigerian Couple to die for Democracy |
By the time Kudirat
got to her room, her head was spinning. She had been thinking too much. She
made up her mind to take a short nap but ended up sleeping through the night.
The following morning, it was Moshood who woke her up. He shared
more details with her about his plans to claim his mandate. He was very
optimistic.
got to her room, her head was spinning. She had been thinking too much. She
made up her mind to take a short nap but ended up sleeping through the night.
The following morning, it was Moshood who woke her up. He shared
more details with her about his plans to claim his mandate. He was very
optimistic.
The Author Jamiu Abiola tells the GDA more story of how his father fell for Abacha’s dirty deal |
After a few
weeks the whole of Nigeria knew what he was about to do. People knew that there
would be tough times ahead. Some panicked and began storing food in their
houses. The government decided to take preemptive action against Moshood,
and to justify those actions it accused him of a number of things, ranging from
stockpiling arms to trying to overthrow the government. It used these
allegations as an excuse to deploy armed personnel to his house. Moshood
was suddenly under house arrest. Over six hundred hostile-looking policemen
surrounded his neighborhood. He was supposed to be their only target but they
were overzealous.
weeks the whole of Nigeria knew what he was about to do. People knew that there
would be tough times ahead. Some panicked and began storing food in their
houses. The government decided to take preemptive action against Moshood,
and to justify those actions it accused him of a number of things, ranging from
stockpiling arms to trying to overthrow the government. It used these
allegations as an excuse to deploy armed personnel to his house. Moshood
was suddenly under house arrest. Over six hundred hostile-looking policemen
surrounded his neighborhood. He was supposed to be their only target but they
were overzealous.
They even tried
to stop two of Kudirat’s children from going to school one morning but backed
down after Kudirat confronted them. And as the anniversary of the
presidential elections drew closer, the government sent more reinforcements to Moshood’s
house.
to stop two of Kudirat’s children from going to school one morning but backed
down after Kudirat confronted them. And as the anniversary of the
presidential elections drew closer, the government sent more reinforcements to Moshood’s
house.
There was now a
joint battalion of army personnel and riot policemen. It was as if the Nigerian
state was about to wage war on a foreign enemy. The military government wanted
to intimidate Moshood and frighten him. But on the eleventh of June 1994, a
day before the anniversary of the election, Moshood had plans of his
own.
joint battalion of army personnel and riot policemen. It was as if the Nigerian
state was about to wage war on a foreign enemy. The military government wanted
to intimidate Moshood and frighten him. But on the eleventh of June 1994, a
day before the anniversary of the election, Moshood had plans of his
own.
Dignatories @ the Launching of ‘The President who Never Ruled’ |
That was the day
he declared himself the president of Nigeria. His first challenge was to find a
way to sneak out of his house, and with the help of Fred Eno, his most loyal
aide, he was able to do so. Both men got out over a wall that faced a soccer
field inside his house. Climbing up the ladder that day was tough for fifty-six-year old Moshood. He almost fell
but miraculously made it. Fred followed him and by the time
both men were on the other side, there was nothing that could stop
Moshood.
he declared himself the president of Nigeria. His first challenge was to find a
way to sneak out of his house, and with the help of Fred Eno, his most loyal
aide, he was able to do so. Both men got out over a wall that faced a soccer
field inside his house. Climbing up the ladder that day was tough for fifty-six-year old Moshood. He almost fell
but miraculously made it. Fred followed him and by the time
both men were on the other side, there was nothing that could stop
Moshood.
Sani & Maryam Abacha in their younger years before power came calling |
His earlier
fears forgotten, his mind was now focused on his plan, whose details only Kudirat
and a few others knew about. Moshood had arranged the venue of
the swearing-in and had even made contact with the judge who would perform the
ceremony. The Nigerian government had no clue that the man whom it had placed
under house arrest was heading toward the other side of Lagos, to a place
called Epetedo, where he was about to claim the fruits of his labor,
the prize of his victory, the reality of his oldest dream, the presidency of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
fears forgotten, his mind was now focused on his plan, whose details only Kudirat
and a few others knew about. Moshood had arranged the venue of
the swearing-in and had even made contact with the judge who would perform the
ceremony. The Nigerian government had no clue that the man whom it had placed
under house arrest was heading toward the other side of Lagos, to a place
called Epetedo, where he was about to claim the fruits of his labor,
the prize of his victory, the reality of his oldest dream, the presidency of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
(Excerpts from
the book, The President Who Never Ruled by Jamiu Abiola; get copies
in any book shop across the world or write Jamiu Abiola through jamiulinguist@yahoo.com. Read Untold Story of how MKO arrested Epetedo on
June 11, 1994 in
our next post on this blog)
the book, The President Who Never Ruled by Jamiu Abiola; get copies
in any book shop across the world or write Jamiu Abiola through jamiulinguist@yahoo.com. Read Untold Story of how MKO arrested Epetedo on
June 11, 1994 in
our next post on this blog)