Tragedy of July 7, 1998
Tragedy of July 7, 1998 In the eyes of many Nigerians and some international observers, M.K.O. Abiola was effectively Nigeria’s president-elect – their president in waiting, who vowed not to renounce the mandate, and the day he died on July 7, 1998, cannot be easily forgotten. I was a student at the University of Lagos, and it is worth mentioning that at the time I was just another potential “yuppie” on campus. At that point in history, I had not undergone the process of sociopolitical radicalisation that transformed me into Owoism – another chapter in my eventful life. The June 12 struggle played a pivotal role in my transformation, and the following events were a part of that process. At that particular moment, I had just entered the main library of the University of Lagos. I was greeted by a family friend who worked as a librarian, and since he knew my family history, he informed me the sad news just broke on TV. The murmuring of “Abiola is dead” increased and reverberated thro...