One of the sons of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, Olalekan Abiola, has revealed that 66 out of 120 children who came forward claiming to be offspring of the late business mogul and acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election failed DNA tests.
In an interview with Vanguard, Olalekan disclosed that following his father’s death on July 7, 1998, numerous individuals surfaced, claiming to be his biological children. However, DNA tests—as stipulated in Abiola’s will—proved that more than half of them had no biological link to the late politician.
According to Olalekan, MKO Abiola was a deeply charitable man who frequently helped women in distress—often paying their rent, feeding them, and even providing accommodation. He noted that some of these women, after Abiola’s demise, falsely presented their children as his in an attempt to secure part of his vast estate.
“About 120 children came forward to say they were MKO’s children, but only 54 of them passed the DNA test at the end of the day,” he stated. “That means 66 failed.”
He further explained that many of these women had once received financial help from his father and later changed their children’s surnames to “Abiola,” despite the fact that the late philanthropist was not their biological father.
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Olalekan emphasized that his father’s religious values shaped much of his character and public goodwill.
“I think the most important thing I learned from him is to hold on to our religion, Islam,” he said. “All he did was based on Islam, which teaches us to be charitable.”
Describing Abiola’s home as a place where needy women would often line up seeking help, Olalekan added that his father never drank alcohol, partied, or gambled but was constantly surrounded by people seeking support—particularly women.
“Some of them came with children and said their husbands had abandoned them. My father would get some of those apartments or houses. Then they began to call themselves ‘Mrs. Abiola,’ even though many of them were not,” he said.
MKO Abiola, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most generous and influential political figures, died under controversial circumstances while in military custody in 1998, after being detained for declaring himself president following the annulment of what is still regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.
