People Said Abiola Was Poisoned By Tea Susan Rice Made; She Told Us She Didn't Do The Tea-Ogunkeyede

Jumoke Ogunkeyede, a Nigerian activist, has spoken about the long-running controversy surrounding the death of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, widely known as MKO Abiola. 

She made the comments during an interview on the State Affairs programme hosted by Edmund Obilo, where she reflected on some of the stories and speculations that emerged after Abiola’s death in 1998.

Abiola, widely believed to have won Nigeria’s annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, died on July 7, 1998 while in detention.

His death occurred during a meeting with an American delegation that had visited Nigeria to discuss the possibility of his release following the death of former military ruler Sani Abacha. Since then, different theories have circulated about what may have caused his sudden death.

During the interview, Ogunkeyede recalled one of the claims that gained attention at the time, which suggested that Abiola might have been poisoned after drinking tea served during the meeting with the visiting American officials. 

According to her, some people alleged that the tea had been prepared by Susan Rice, who was said to have been part of the U.S. delegation.

She explained that the allegation was widely discussed in certain circles in the period following Abiola’s death. However, she added that when activists later had the opportunity to ask Rice directly about the claim, the former U.S. official firmly denied preparing the tea or having any involvement in any alleged poisoning.

Ogunkeyede noted that Rice had maintained a friendly relationship with some Nigerian activists at one point, which allowed them to question her personally about the issue. According to her, Rice rejected the allegation when asked and insisted that she was not responsible for making the tea served to Abiola.

Quoting the activist, she said: “Story had it that he was poisoned by a tea made for him by the American intern, Susan Rice, who followed the delegation here. Rice was very close to us at a point and we have had reason to ask her since then, ‘Did you actually do that tea?’ Of course she denied it.”

The circumstances surrounding Abiola’s death have continued to generate debate in Nigeria for decades, with different accounts and theories still being discussed. Despite the many speculations, no final or universally accepted explanation has been established regarding the exact cause of his death.