Left for me, I did not want Doyin to be the editor of Concord Newspaper but Simbiat insisted that there was nothing wrong with having a female editor. We had Dele Giwa and others.
Dele Momodu, a brilliant writer was employed later. We also employed a lot of people from Ibadan. I never wanted Doyin as editor because I know MKO, they will eventually end up in bed. My boss had a weakness for women. Unfortunately, as we were deliberating on it, Simbi said, “Why don’t we have a female editor for the first time?” I said okay o! It was Simbiat that actually employed Doyin who later became MKO’s lover. It started gradually.
One day we went to Abeokuta with Doyin to cover an event. I was sitting in the front seat with the driver. Simbi did not go with us. MKO sat at the back seat with Doyin. We were discussing politics and suddenly I looked back to talk with my boss and I saw him kissing Doyin. I was embarrassed and took my eyes off. MKO later married Doyin because she was a brilliant journalist.
The election was annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida. IBB was a timid person. Both IBB and Abacha were Abiola’s boys. He was always financing and supporting them during coup. Abiola made IBB what he is but all the loyalists to IBB poisoned his mind. They told him MKO was rude to him as a head of state.
MKO was very powerful, influential and outspoken, that was his weakness. A lot of people hated him for that. He speaks to president all over the world including the president of America so he still treats IBB as his boy. The soldiers began to run him down. The soldiers warned IBB not to allow Abiola become president.
Abacha threatened that he will overthrow Abiola if IBB allowed him to become president. I am an insider. I saw everything that happened. MKO had weakness for women. He spends too much money on women. IBB’s wife, Maryam and Kudirat were very good friends. When they went to hajj together, MKO gave both of them one million pounds sterling each for shopping. I was in Mecca and I met them there. When we came back to Nigeria. I went to the bank to withdraw the money with them as my boss’s wife. By that time, Babangida was not yet rich.
So, I can’t say what must have transpired between Maryam and MKO. That is another perspective as to why MKO did not become president. You know when you have money, you become powerful. You think everybody will be happy for you. Most IBB boys did not like Abiola because they believe that Abiola was too rich and influential. They succeeded in causing problems between IBB and MKO. They made sure Abiola never became president.
Read more from, Democracy & The Untold Story of June 12…