Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties in the Office of the Vice-President, Jamiu Abiola, has reacted to the declaration for a sovereign nation of the Yoruba people by his father’s widow, Modupe Onitiri-Abiola
There are calls for a sovereign nation of the Yoruba people. What is your take on this?
Such calls are common in countries as big and diverse as Nigeria. Even in the United States, some people do not believe in that country’s union for one reason or another. But just like in the United States, these people are a minority in Nigeria; so, they are inconsequential.
The widow of your late father, Modupe Onitiri-Abiola recently declared Yoruba Nation in a viral video. How would you react to this?
I heard about that, and like almost all Nigerians, I didn’t take her declaration seriously. I have never met her in my life, much less knowing her motives. But that is not what is important.
How come you have never met her, and she claimed to be a relative?
My father had four official wives in addition to women who are also known as his wives. That is the kind of man he was. He wanted to take care of as many people as possible. So, he saw certain kinds of relationships as a good way to do that. After his death many years ago, you cannot expect every member of his family to act in a way that represents what he stood for. But by and large, most members of the Abiola family are promoting the ideals he stood for, and I am proud to say that.
It was also alleged that she was behind the invasion of the Oyo State Secretariat. What is your take on this?
Investigations are ongoing. So, I would not say much about this matter until they are concluded. As you can imagine, it is a sensitive issue. Even though I don’t consider the woman to be my stepmom, she is bearing my father’s name, which in itself, is a tragedy given the action she has taken. My father would have been devastated about this incident if he were alive. He loved the unity of this country so much and he would have even sacrificed his presidential mandate to preserve it if he felt that he needed to do that.
Are you not concerned that her decision to declare Yoruba Nation could be perceived as the position of the MKO Abiola’s family?
When it comes to Nigeria’s unity, many people know how much my father believed in it. Even after his arrest and incarceration, not for once did he advocate Nigeria’s division. So, I don’t believe that any Abiola family member has the right to promote the division of this country, particularly now, because if my father were alive today, he would have been so happy that his closest and highly competent associate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is doing all he would have done if he had been allowed to exercise his mandate.
Nigeria’s comparative advantage is its diversity, and our patriarch sacrificed his life for a democratic mandate he got from all Nigerians because he had proven to all Nigerians that he believed they were one. It is so unfortunate that anyone would use his name to promote the breakup of this country. That woman did so without anybody’s support.
But one of your brothers contested against President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 general election. Doesn’t this imply that not all the Abiolas are in tune with the mandate of President Tinubu?
During the struggle, some family members sold out. They tried to get close to General (Sani) Abacha for contracts etc. These people turned my mother’s life into a nightmare and made her final days miserable indeed. As you said, even in last year’s election, a family member did the unthinkable by running against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Just like everyone else, this family member knew that President Tinubu was and remains our father’s closest and most loyal associate. Yet, he broke ranks with the family just like this woman is doing by declaring a Yoruba nation.