Beware Enemies!…Otedola Does Not Forget Sins Against Him

It appears Femi Otedola, the billionaire businessman decorated with talks of aspiration to become Governor of Lagos state is like proverbial China – he has a long memory.

And recent disclosures he made at the book launch of famed Publisher, Bashorun Dele Momodu attests to this.

Otedola while speaking about the martyr of the nation’s young democracy, Moshood Kashimawo Abiola told the story of how he suffered great disrespect from Peter Igbinedion while contributing his quota to the release of the then incarcerated Abiola.

Otedola narrated

“My late father thought Chief Abiola will make a great president because of his deep wisdom, expansive heart and pan-Nigerian outlook.

A sad reminder of his arrest in 1994 was a picture of him alighting from a black Maria. Upon this, I called Ibrahim Abacha and requested to see him and we met at the southwest Ikoyi residence of Mr. Peter Igbinedion, the then MD of FAAN.

I told Ibrahim to tell his Dad to release MKO as it was not fair for a man who was being denied his mandate to be so humiliated by being put in a black Maria, to which our host, Peter, interjected by saying “who is this?” and he swiftly walked to the door holding it open and walked me out of his residence . I later ran into Mr. Igbinedion at Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s London residence in 2013 and he was begging for my number. How tables have turned.

We witnessed a man who abandoned the worldly comforts his wealth assured and was transformed in the fight for his mandate, believed in it and died for it.

I have studied Chief Abiola’s life in politics, philanthropy and most importantly building people, and his doggedness, fairness, goodness and good heart are traits that should be emulated. He was a man for all seasons.

I wonder what it would have been like if Chief Abiola was sworn in as president. Did we lose the opportunity to become the Dubai of Africa? Would Nigeria have surmounted the developmental challenges we face in health, education and industrialization? Your guess is as good as mine.
Once again, my dear brother accept my congratulations and thank you for the opportunity to speak about Chief MKO Abiola”.

Keen Observers of event pointed out, the payback for the disrespect that seemed almost consigned to oblivion along the years, is the dredging up of the “event and subsequent event” by Otedola at this “peak period” of attention.