Another MKO’s unfulfilled dream

The late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, famously known as MKO Abiola, meant many things to many people: tycoon, philanthropist and humanitarian. He was a businessman with first-class brains. While he lived, he dreamt to occupy the number position in his fatherland under the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP. His compatriots from across the country overwhelmingly voted for him; thus, he was goaded to claim his mandate. In the process, the respected pillar of sports, publisher and entrepreneur lost his life, a few years after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections by the then military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida.

Though this is no longer news, it is not the only unfulfilled dream of the late billionaire. If you care to know, he had planned to put up a mansion to be named ‘Presidential Lodge’ on Oba Oshile Road, Government Reservation Area, Ibara , Abeokuta, Ogun State. But that was not to be. The abandoned building is now overgrown with weeds and is inhabited by reptiles.

Spyglass gathered that the building, which was conceived to serve as Abiola’s personal presidential lodge upon assumption of office, has multiple rooms. The sitting room is fit to host a gathering of about 1000 persons at a time, and there is a Helipad atop for landing of helicopters.

In fact, if completed, the building would have been one of the best of its kind in the whole of  of the country. The construction had gone well with speed, as the building firm hurried to meet the delivery date slated ahead of his envisaged swearing in as president of Nigeria in 1993.

But following the annulment of the poll, his eventual arrest after the declaration, the contractor pulled out of site and has not returned till date.