Olalekan Abiola, son of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, has disclosed that 66 out of 120 individuals who claimed to be his father’s biological children failed DNA verification tests.
The DNA screening was part of a broader effort initiated by the family and estate administrators to authenticate the true heirs of the late business magnate and presumed winner of Nigeria’s annulled 1993 presidential election. Olalekan explained that the DNA requirement was in strict adherence to the directives outlined in MKO Abiola’s will, which sought to prevent inheritance disputes and ensure only legitimate children benefit from the estate.
He alleged that some women had, over the years, falsely linked their children to MKO Abiola by altering surnames in a bid to secure access to the family’s wealth.
“MKO was a man of great generosity and religious devotion,” Olalekan said, describing his father as someone who never consumed alcohol or engaged in gambling. However, he acknowledged that his father’s well-known flaw was his attraction to women—many of whom he encountered while offering charitable assistance, especially to single mothers.
The revelations shed light on the complexities surrounding the late philanthropist’s legacy and the measures his family has taken to uphold transparency in the administration of his estate.
