The Jos Township Stadium, during the SDP primaries in 1993, Babagana Kingibe, who came very tightly close to Abiola, had the support of most SDP Governors like Oyegun of Edo, Bamidele Olumilua, Felix Ibru etc and also others like Emeka Ojukwu, Arthur Nzeribe, Olusola Saraki, Ben Obi, Ebenezer Babatope were all bitter haters of MKO and great supporters of Kingibe and as delegates, they cast their votes for him in the first ballot and were ready to do same in the second ballot.
MKO got support from Osoba, Kolapo Ishola, Isiaka Adeleke, Lamidi Adedibu, Bola Tinubu, Lateef Jakande, Chuba Okadigbo, Sule Lamido, Balarabe Musa, Abubakar Rimi, Dosu Ladipo, Yohana Madaki, Tony Anenih, Ango Abdullahi etc.
First Ballot….
Abiola 3,617
Kingibe 3,255
Atiku 2,066
Those three were the leading aspirants and a run off must be conducted among the trio to select the flagbearer.
Yoruba Leaders in Jos thought it may be over for MKO since Kingibe and Atiku polled 5,321 to MKO’s 3,617…..if Atiku merged with Kingibe, one of them will get the ticket!!!!
To break any possible alliance between Atiku and Kingibe, these three people headed straight to Ambassador Kwande’s house where General Yar’adua was to have a chat him, they were Dosu Ladipo, Adedibu, SM Afolabi.
General Yar’adua was Atiku’s godfather.
On getting to Kwande house, they approached Yar’adua personal assistant Inua Baba who told them that General was sleeping and shouldn’t be disturbed. The trio ignored him and went straight to General’s bedroom and banged his door!
“Mi ni ni?” Yar’adua shouted..
“Open the door General” the trio screamed back.
He opened the door.
The trio begged Yar’adua to stop Atiku. “Remember how we became Yoruba people enemies when we supported you and jettisoned Falae, help us too to regain our love back from our people. Tell Atiku to step down.”
Yar’adua agreed…..”For you good people, I agree to support MKO. Go and bring him. I can do anything for my friends” Yar’adua replied.
Immediately, Abiola joined the trio and Atiku also came in to join Yar’adua.
Yar’adua and Atiku spoke in Hausa at length and in the end, Atiku broke down in tears, wept when his boss asked him to step down. Yar’adua gave him handkerchief.
While he was weeping, Abiola went close to him, hugged him and told him “you will be my deputy..”
Atiku then spoke, facing Yar’adua “Since you’re the one who brought me into politics sir, I cannot disobey you…”
That was the statement that sealed Kingibe’s fate in Jos and by the time Atiku announced his withdrawal for MKO, the SDP ticket went to Bashorun Abiola