₦45 Billion Debt Claim: Presidency Tells Abiola’s Family To File Official Request, Distances Sule Lamido
A fresh wave of national discourse has emerged following former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido’s recent appeal to the Federal Government to settle an alleged ₦45 billion debt owed to the family of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola. But in a sharp response, the Presidency has clarified its position: “It is not Lamido’s business.”
This comes as part of a broader conversation around national healing, legacy debts, and the proper channels for seeking compensation — especially in cases rooted deep in Nigeria’s political and economic history.
🏛️ The Background: A Debt from the 1970s
Lamido stirred controversy during the May 2025 launch of his memoir, “Being True to Myself,” when he called on President Bola Tinubu to compensate the Abiola family. He claimed that Abiola’s company, International Telephone & Telegraph, executed multi-billion-naira communications contracts for the military regime in the 1970s but was never fully paid.
The alleged ₦45 billion debt, according to Lamido, is long overdue and should be settled as a gesture of justice and reconciliation — given Abiola’s historic role in Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement and his unjust imprisonment and death under military detention.
🗣️ Presidency Responds: ‘File a Claim — Don’t Speak Through Proxies’
However, a senior official in the Presidency, speaking anonymously to Punch, has pushed back on Lamido’s involvement in the matter. The official argued that if the Abiola family believes the government owes them, they should file a formal claim with evidence — rather than rely on political figures to speak on their behalf.
“The children of MKO Abiola are still very much alive. The first son is alive. So, if there is any money the government is owing Abiola, let them file a claim. It is not for Sule Lamido to be saying this.”
The official also questioned why former presidents, like Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari, who both served full two-term tenures, did not act on this debt claim — suggesting that the issue is neither new nor urgent from a governmental standpoint.
🌺 A Moment of Honour: Kudirat Abiola Awarded CFR Posthumously
While the financial dispute brews, there has also been a moment of national recognition. President Tinubu recently conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) honor posthumously on Kudirat Abiola, MKO’s late wife and a prominent democracy advocate who was assassinated in 1996.
Her daughter, Hafsat Abiola, expressed heartfelt gratitude in a statement:
“There are no words to adequately express the depth of gratitude I feel… She was guided both by love and a sense of duty to defend her husband’s mandate… I have no doubt that she would have been overwhelmed with joy to be so honoured.”
This gesture has been seen as part of the Tinubu administration’s continued effort to acknowledge the sacrifices made during Nigeria’s democratic struggle — particularly by the Abiola family.
🔎 Analysis: Justice, Legacy, and Procedure
The debate raises important questions:
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Should legacy debts be honored by new administrations?
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Is political advocacy enough, or must legal procedures be followed strictly?
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What does justice look like for the Abiola family beyond symbolic honours?
While MKO Abiola has long been recognized as the symbol of Nigeria’s democratic rebirth, tangible compensation — whether financial or structural — has largely remained elusive. With President Tinubu, a fellow democracy activist and associate of the Abiola struggle, now in office, expectations are naturally higher.
However, as the Presidency’s recent statement shows, formal processes matter. Emotion, politics, and even moral arguments may not suffice without documented claims and legal frameworks.
✅ Conclusion: Legacy Must Be Matched With Legal Action
Sule Lamido’s call has reignited conversations around justice and historical accountability, but the message from the Presidency is clear: claims must come directly from the family — not political intermediaries. In a nation striving to balance historical reconciliation with institutional integrity, the Abiola family now has an open invitation to seek redress — but must do so through the appropriate channels.
Time will tell whether this long-standing debt — if proven — will finally be settled, or remain yet another unfulfilled chapter in Nigeria’s complex political story.
