Abdul-Lateef Kola Abiola, born July 1, 1962, better known as Kola Abiola, is a Nigerian politician and the eldest son of the late MKO Abiola. He is the presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Redemption Party (PRP). Kola Abiola was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State where he grew up with his siblings.
Early Life and Education
Kola Abiola was born into the family of the late MKO Abiola and Alhaja Simbiat Abiola. He describes himself as being humbled by the events of life, which made him who he is today.
Kola Abiola was born and raised in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in the South-West region of Nigeria, where he hails from. He grew up alongside his siblings under the watch of their parents.
He had his elementary and secondary education in Ogun State before proceeding to a higher institution.
He attended Baptist High School where he lived with the principal then; before he went to Ibadan Grammar School. During holidays, he had severe Jaundice so he couldn’t return to school and end up spending over six months at home recuperating.
Kola Abiola later did a term at Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School before his mother transferred him to Aiyetoro where he completed his secondary school education.
After his secondary education, Kola Abiola went to Berkeley and then Colorado State University where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and MBA in Business Administration.
Kola Abiola returned from England and started the University Staff School, Akoka, during that time his mother was a lecturer at YabaTech while the father was accountant.
Career
Kola Abiola’s father was the co-owner of ITT and also the owner of RCN, Radio Communications Nigeria, Bakery (Wonderloaf), Concord Press, Abiola farms, Concorde Airlines and African Concord.
After his service year in Zaria, he restructured and reorganized some of the entities. MKO Abiola’s company were one of the first indigenous companies to drill and find oil, after it was launched. It created a lot of excitement, not just for their family, but for the industry as a whole because it was fully indigenous.
Not much information is known about Kola Abiola’s career, despite the fact that he is from the family of MKO Abiola who ran for the presidency in 1993, for which the election results were annulled by the preceding military president Ibrahim Babangida because of allegations that they were corrupt and unfair. However, Abiola was awarded the GCFR posthumously on June 6, 2018 by President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigeria’s democracy day was changed to June 12.
On April 14, 2022, he declared his intention to contest for the 2023 presidential race under the platform of People’s Redemption Party, PRP.
Personal Life
Kola Abiola was married to Olayinka Abiola who slumped and died in Los Angeles, California on the night of Saturday, October 16, 2010.
She was in her mid-40s and the daughter of Chief (Mrs.) Bose Onilere, the late prominent businesswoman. She was the second wife of Kola Abiola, with the first being Victoria Arafat.
