Olayomi Koiki
Abdulmumuni, one of the sons of late Nigerian business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, has revealed that his late father willed £650,000 to his first four wives.
A copy of the will displayed on a television programme hosted by Seun Okinbaloye showed that Abiola’s first wife, Simbiat, got £300,000; the second wife, Kudirat, £150,000; the third wife, Moriamo, £100,000; and the fourth, Idiat, £100,000.
Speaking during the programme on Saturday, titled, ‘Mic On Podcast’, Abdulmumuni took jabs at his older brother, Kola, for allegedly refusing to give him and his sisters their rightful inheritance from their father.
He noted that the family had done a series of blood tests to know the legitimate children of the late business mogul entitled to his will.
He said: “Let me give you some background on that. We did blood tests so we had a list of qualifying children. If you look at the will and you see how systematic it is, he names the wives and he apportions the money to them. I would like to give you some information on that. My mum was number two (Kudirat Olayinka Abiola). I think she was apportioned £150,000.
“At the time, Kola had sighted the fact that my mum died before my dad died, and because of that, British law would not allow him to release the £150,000 to us.
“He also said that his mum too is dead and he didn’t get the £300,000 for his mother. But you are the one sharing the money, so it’s odd…If he wanted to, he could have given us the money.”
Abdulmumuni recalled that he, alongside his mother’s children, were struggling to make ends meet after the loss of their parents.
He said: “It would have been useful to us to have that funds. Not to mention my mum’s apartment in the UK, before we knew anything, Kola had sold it without telling my brothers or my sister anything about it.
“So, you can see that they were systematic to try to impoverish my mum’s side of the family. And for that reason, I don’t think I will be able to forgive him (Kola).”
Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola GCFR, also known as M. K. O. Abiola (24 August 1937 – 7 July 1998), was a Nigerian business magnate, publisher, and politician. He was the honorary supreme military commander of the Oyo Empire and an aristocrat of the Egba clan.
Abiola ran for the presidency in 1993, for which the election results were annulled by then military president Ibrahim Babangida. He would later die in detention after making an attempt to assert himself as the elected president.
Abiola was awarded the National honour Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR), an honour awarded to only Nigerian heads of state, posthumously on 6 June 2018, by immediate former President Muhammadu Buhari, and Nigeria’s democracy day was changed from 29 May to 12 June in his honour.
Abiola was a personal friend of Ibrahim Babangida and he is believed to have supported Babangida’s coming to power.
Abiola’s support in the June 1993 presidential election cut across all geo-political zones and religious divisions. He was among a few politicians to accomplish such influence during his time.
By the time of his death, he had become an unexpected symbol of democracy.
Daily Trust news contributed to this report
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