Abiola’s daughters clash over comment on Kogi gov

Tudun Abiola, a popular Arise TV presenter, has slammed her sister, Hafsat Abiola-Costello, for comparing Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State with their late father and the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola.

Abiola-Costello, who is the Director-General of Bello’s presidential campaign, had likened the governor’s Hope23 campaign slogan to Hope’93 slogan of Abiola during the annulled election.

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She had appeared on Arise TV on Sunday to explain why she accepted to head Bello’s campaign, stating that the governor’s character aligned with those of her father.

She said the late MKO believed in a united Nigeria, just like Bello, noting that he also treated everyone around him with respect regardless of their social standing.

“These are the same qualities I have seen in Governor Bello. He dared to contest, not minding that he was from a minority tribe in Kogi and won, and he has come out again.

“My father did the same, when it was believed that a Yoruba man could not be president,” she said on Sunday.

But Tudun expressed shock over the comment of her half-sister, asking her to leave their father out of the issue and concentrate on selling the manifesto of her principal.

Daily Trust reports that Tudun, a lawyer and TV presenter, is the daughter of Mrs Bisi Abiola, MKO Abiola’s third wife, while Hafsat is the daughter of Abiola’s second wife, Kudirat, who was murdered during the June 12 struggle.

Tudun, who was livid while commenting on the Arise TV show, told her co-presenter, Reuben Abati, that she was dismayed by the interview of her half-sister on Sunday.

She said, “I have come to expect certain things from that individual, but just because it is not surprising, does not mean it was not staggeringly inappropriate.

“I am referring to my half-sister, Hafsat, who is the DG of Yahaya Bello’s campaign, and her comparison to my dad.

“There were a lot of political players in his team, and not one of them decided to throw their father under the bus for the sake of their principal.”