By Sonja Philemon
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Alhaji Lateef Kola Abiola (LKO), the scion of the famous Bashorun MKO Abiola Dynasty, is an household name that needs no introduction in Nigeria, and undoubtedly in most parts of the world.
And it is also no news that he is among the frontliners of those who wish to turn around the pungently battered fortune of this nation in all the spheres of life like education, security, health, provision of social amenities, attraction of industries and creation of conducive environment for job creation for the teeming youths in the society etc.
What could have been stranger than fiction, as they say, is if the scion of the late MKO Abiola did not show interest in coming to the aid of the downthrodden masses through democratic means by way of his presidential candidature in the forthcoming February 2023 general elections.
Though born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Kola Abiola is neither complacent nor comfortable with the plight of the poor majority in this country which is the veritable reason he has decided to invest his time, money, expertise and other God-given resources to ensure, through the ballot, that this country is made better than how it has been, than its current state under the President Muhammad Buhari-led administration under the aegis of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which has ostensibly failed the people of this country in all ramifications.
One identifiable unique attribute of the PRP Presidential candidate is that he doesn’t believe in riding on the political fame of his late father, Bashorun MKO Abiola, in order to gain political mileage from any quarters.
His actions and inactions have portrayed him as an independent-minded political colossus who has carved a niche for himself in all spheres of life.
It is however, observed that as much as LKO has been striving not to let his famous and wealthy family background to have an iota of influence in his political activities, this has however, turned out to be an impossible Utopia as a golden fish has no hiding place; a giant cannot beget a dwarf just the way it is equally axiomatic that the offspring of an elephant would resemble its father in all ramifications no matter the prevailing situation or condition.
Apart from a noticeable resounding physical appearance with his biological father, the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election which was annulled by the maximum ruler, Military President Ibrahim Babangida, everything about him proves he is an indisputable replica of his late billionaire father.
It is therefore not for the fun of it that Kola Abiola opted to accomplish his presidential ambition under the umbrella of the PRP. It was in order to make a profound statement that he is a Pan-Nigerian political leader whose political star would shine and perpetually radiate no matter where he is operating from. Since LKO emerged the presidential candidate of the PRP, his political endeavours have become a movement as his tumultuous supporters mill round him as ants do to sugar.
The genuineness of LKO to serve his fatherland conscientiously is not in doubt as he is pathologically endowed with sterling leadership qualities and inherited humanitarian desire to make a difference in the society where hunger, wants and needs walk tall the streets of the nation. The PRP’s Presidential candidate can also be described as a credible metaphorical bridge between the youths and the oldies in the Nigerian society which is the potent reason why he would blend easily in meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the people irrespective of their ages as the next Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Unfolding events over the years have however, shown that Kola Abiola is a man of the people who is always at home with both the aristocratic and downthrodden members of the society despite his noble and wealthy background.
It is his penchant to diligently serve the people of this country that has been his attraction to be the next President of this nation.
LKO is sufficiently lettered and well-exposed through extensive travellings across the world especially the Western World where there is resemblance and demonstrated democratic governance strictly governed by the rules of law.
Born on July 1, 1962 in Abeokuta, Ogun State, into the family of the late Bashorun MKO Abiola and Alhaja Simbiat Abiola, LKO is abreast with Nigerian realities, having had his elementary and secondary school education in Ogun State where he attended Baptist High School, did a term at Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School and later crossed over to Aiyetoro where he completed his secondary education.
After his secondary school education, he would proceed to Berkeley and then Colorado State University, where he obtained a Bachelor degree in Finance and an MBA in Business Administration.
Kola Abiola returned from England and started the University Staff School, Akoka, Lagos. During that time, his mother was a lecturer at Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, while the father was an accountant. Kola Abiola’s father was the co-owner of ITT and also the owner of RCN, Radio Communications Nigeria, Wonderloaf Bakery, Concord Press of Nigeria PLC, Abiola Farms, Abiola Bookshops, Concorde Airlines and African Concord among others.
After his compulsory one-year National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) in Zaria, Kola Abiola restructured and reorganized some of his father’s companies.
He declared his intention to contest the 2023 presidential race under the platform of of the PRP on April 14, 2022.
The PRP is a social democratic political party in Nigeria. It is the Second Republic reincarnation of the Northern Elements Progressive Union(NEPU) and the Fourth Republic reincarnation of a similar namesake which was floated by the supporters of the late Mallam Aminu Kano after his withdrawal from the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN). It is not a gainsaying that the PRP Presidential candidate, Alhaji Kola Abiola and his running mate, Haro Zego, who are fully in the 2023 presidential race are conscientiously prepared to provide the needed national leadership at this critical time in the history of the nation.
There is a golden plea for Nigerians who are yet to make up their minds on who to cast their presidential votes for, to gear up without further delay in order not to be left behind by the political moving train of Kola Abiola, as developing political events are pointing out to the fact that the PRP will definitely repeat the late MKO Abiola’s presidential feat during the 2023 general elections.
It would be recalled that the elated Kola Abiola disclosed in Abuja that his party would win the 2023 presidential election when he received his Certificates of Return from the National Chairman of the party, Malam Falalu Bello.
At the event, he said: “It reminds me of 1993. A lot of people came out for the first time to vote because of MKO. We are going to have a repeat of that in 2023. If we can win it then, we should win it now. The biggest role the PRP would play at the general elections is to serve as a bridge for current generation of Nigerian youths. We are going to bring the younger generation into politics, governance and leadership.
“I am appealing to the youths to regard us as the vehicle of change. We should make sure that at the next election, we have the highest voter turnout. By this, we will make your voices and number count.”
Having enumerated the foregoing, it is not an hyperbolic expression to state and conclude that the scion of the late Bashorun MKO Abiola, Alhaji Lateef Kola Abiola, the presidential candidate of the PRP, is a candidate to beat in the February 2023 presidential election.
• Philemon is political analyst.