As we celebrate the 2023 Democracy Day declared as a public holiday in Nigeria, to honour Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (MKO) Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential election, the Ajileyes in this encounter shared an interesting story of one of Chief MKO Abiola’s son, Kolajo Suleiman Abiola.
Read the interesting story:
This is Kolajo Suleiman Abiola (KSA), one of Chief MKO Abiola’s son. For many years people thought he is my first son because after his father’s sudden death, the lot fell on me by providence and God calculation to step up to help raise and nurture this young boy to a man and a balanced responsible citizen.
I had met Kolajo as a one-year -old baby in Lagos in 1993 during the campaign of his father for the Presidency. He was brought to Nigeria from London where he was born. I was invited to his 1st year birthday party in Ikeja by his mum, Dr Bisi Abiola (PhD Oxford). I had met Dr Bisi Abiola during MKO’s campaign, she followed him to Nigeria from her base in the UK. By providence, we met and she became a big sister to me. She was young, brilliant and key backbone of MKO Hope 93 Manifesto. I left Nigeria for the UK but we kept in touch and anytime she visited the UK with Kolajo, I made sure I saw them. Kolajo would travel every year to the UK on holiday and he will spent substantial part of that holiday in my house.
His father had been killed as we all know, but my family became the closest family he knew. He decided to study in the UK for his first and second degree and throughout that time, he was mentored, nurtured, supported and guided by myself and my wife, as our sacred responsibility with the support of his dear mum, who resided in Nigeria. She felt Kolajo would be better mentored by me, as a father figure he did not grow to have in his dad, Chief MKO Abiola.
Kolajo was a delight to live with, he is gentle, respectful, insightful, intelligent, composed, reflective and driven young man. We went everywhere together. He was trained in house keeping by my wife, he was part of my family even until he clicked 25yrs old when he had to return to Nigeria to serve his fatherland. He was prepared, educated and ready to take his future in his hands, equipped with first class British education which his mum paid for, we saw him grow to a man he is today. Delightful young man who is now contributing his quota to his fatherland.
Kolajo Abiola is always grateful, always in touch and he is a brother and a son to me, my children grew up with him in my household, Olumide Ogundare and his lovely wife Sade, met him in my house and they took over from me and got him under their wings. He became their son too, they will pick him up every weekend and he would spent time with Sade and children, they made sure he attended their parties.
He is such a delight and intelligent man, his voice is like his dad, his mien is like his father, his mannerism like his enigmatic father of Democracy. He is humble and calculated and he is reliable and responsible . He is a legacy of hope of the Abiola dynasty. The Ajileye family played our part albeit in a small way in the celebration of today. Happy Democracy Day!
