The son of late Chief Tony Anenih, Ose Anenih, has accused the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, of falsely representing the roles played by his father in the June 12 1993 democratic struggle.
The younger Anenih accused Onanuga of not only lying, but also displaying an unexpected level of toxicity in his account of the June 12 happenings.
Naijaonpoint recalls the saga started when former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, accused President Tinubu of supporting the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV, Lamido also alleged that Tinubu’s late mother, Hajiya Abibatu Mogaji organised market women from Lagos to Abuja to show support for the then Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
Reacting, Onanuga accused Lamido, of attempting to rewrite history with his claims on the role played by President Tinubu in the June 12 struggle.
The presidency stated that the claim by Lamido that President Tinubu supported the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election or that his mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, mobilised market women to back the annulment was totally false.
The presidential media aide also accused Lamido and Tony Anenih of teaming up with the defeated National Republican Convention to deny Abiola his mandate.
However, in a swift reaction, Anenih has debunked Onanuga’s account of the role played by his father.
He expressed disappointment that such a lie can be issued in the name of the President.
In the rebuttal which he shared on his X handle, Ose Anenih said, “Your account of my father’s involvement in June 12 is, to put it politely, untrue. It is disappointing that you chose to use uncouth language to describe Chief Tony Anenih, and in an official communication from ‘the Presidency,’ no less.
“I will rise above the emotional baiting that this conversation has clearly sparked and will speak only to the truth. I will also assume that your mischaracterisation of historical events stems from ignorance, not malice.”
In contrast to the claims by Onanuga, Ose said his father, Tony Anenih, warned Abiola that his close dealings with Abacha would destroy his chances of reclaiming his mandate.
“Chief Abiola initially fled the country after the annulment of the June 12 presidential elections by Gen. Babangida. You mentioned that MKO eventually returned. When he did, one of his first visits was to my father, then National Chairman of the SDP, in Benin City.
“True to form, my father confronted Abiola. He accused him, to his face, of abandoning the party and its supporters in the immediate aftermath of the annulment while they risked life and limb defending his mandate,” he said.
Ose further noted that he is not aware of any form of animosity between his late father and President Tinubu, adding that many key players in the June 12 episode are still alive and can verify what tarnspired back at the time.
“Now, I am not aware of any animosity that ever existed between my father and President Tinubu. In fact, my father acknowledged that Tinubu had initially spoken out against the delay in announcing the results of the June 12 election.
“It was the only time he mentioned Tinubu in his 260 page book.
“I have no personal knowledge of what role your principal played after that, though I find it curious that you consider his early visit to Abacha, immediately after a coup to remove the ING he (MKO) helped birth, a mark of honour.
“Like Lamido said, many of the key players in that chapter of our history like IBB, Abdulsalami, Oyegun, Ikimi, Mark, Ayu, Dele Momodu, and others – including Kola, MKO’s son – are still alive. We are also fortunate that my father wrote his own version of events before he passed.”
Anenih’s son cuationed Onanuga to avoid embarking on such historical misadventure in the future.
“It is however unfortunate that I have had to defend my father’s name against a lie, and doubly unfortunate that that lie was issued in the name of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I had hoped that this level of toxicity left with the former occupant of your office.
“I am happy to send you a copy of my father’s memoir, My Life and Nigerian Politics, to help you avoid this sort of ahistorical misadventure in future,” he concluded.