The son of the late Nigerian businessman and politician MKO Abiola has voiced concerns that the same forces responsible for annulling his father’s presidential election are now targeting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Friday coverage of ongoing protests, Jamiu Abiola made these claims amidst rising unrest in the country.
Since August 1, Nigerians have been protesting against bad governance and widespread hardship. Now in their third day, the demonstrations show no signs of abating, with protesters threatening to extend their actions beyond the initial ten-day plan unless their demands are addressed.
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Abiola, who was also a presidential candidate and currently works with the Tinubu administration, expressed his views on the situation:
“A lot of Nigerians are looking at this president like every other president because a lot of them have experienced broken promises in the past. So as far as they are concerned, anything that seems difficult is another broken promise.
The president we have now is a different kind of president because he believes in democracy; he believes in and loves the common man. He needs to be given time.”
He further commented on the nature of the protests, suggesting that the demonstrators are driven by emotions and have not fully considered President Tinubu’s achievements since taking office.
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“Some people have still not gotten over the fact that they were not destined by God to win last year’s election. There are some people who have sinister motives.
The same people worked against my dad and cancelled his election. Do you think they would want someone who was trying to support my dad to become president and succeed? It’s the same forces that we have now,” Abiola said.
He also attributed the current hardship in Nigeria to divine intervention, describing it as a test from God that every Nigerian must endure.
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“Sometimes, for things to get better, they have to get tough. It’s a test, and it’s from God. You see, God is testing people, and it’s not just in Nigeria. There’s the hand of God in everything,” he explained.