Chief Kenny Martins, 64, is a successful business man and twin brother to the late wife of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo A Lagos indigene, he attended Premier Day School, Yaba, Lagos, United Primary School, Aiyetoro, Egbado, Comprehensive High School, Aiyetoro, Egbado, both in Ogun State, and Orange Coast College, Orange County, California, USA, where he studied Business Administration.

Regarded a technocrat in politics, Chief Kenny Martins was Campaign Adviser and Strategist for the MKO Abiola Presidential Election Campaign in 1993. He co-founded the defunct National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN), and was the party’s National Secretary in 1996.

He was also a co-founder of defunct ALL Peoples Party, APP, in 1998, and later Campaign Adviser and Strategist, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Election Campaign in 1999.

In this interview with Inside Nigeria, Martins, said, among other things, that the death of Abiola could have been averted if Kudirat, his late wife, had not frustrated the move. The arrangement, according to him was to get Abiola released and have him travel to Saudi Arabia to take care of himself while the agitation for his mandate continued.

While that effort was ongoing, Abacha created a ministry for reconciliation and appointed late Chief Alex Akinyele as minister with a mandate to make reconciliation between Abiola and the Federal government his first assignment.

Excerpts:

It was reported that, you made moves to get Chief MKO Abiola released
from detention, why was the move not successful?

We made move to free Abiola from the shackles of the military, Kudi (late Kudirat Abiola)
turned it down,that was before her assassination, if Kudi did not
frustrate that arrangement to free Abiola, the duo may still be alive.

In preparation to free Abiola, Dr.Ore Falomo, Justice Nasir and the
Sultan of Sokoto then, Maccido, were contacted.

Kudirat was assassinated when I was on my way to go and warn her to
stare clear of the matter, what we predicted made us to drag Dr Ore
Falomo,Kola Abiola and Colonel Nasir and Sultan of Sokoto then,all to
beg Abacha to release Abiola to go on bail and travel to Saudi Arabia to
take care of himself,and the agitation for his mandate will continue.

While that move was on, Abacha mandated me to go and inform Chief Alex
Akinyele to resume in his office, which was ministry of reconciliation. 
That office was created for him and vehicles made available for his
office. And that the reconciliation between M K O Abiola and the Federal
Government would be his first assignment.

To go and broker that peace,
unfortunately the death of Kudi and the refusal of Kudi led to the
abortion of that effort.

That was his first assignment,to try and broker, unfortunately because
of the refusal of Kudi to agree,which led to the abortion of that
attempt,and as it had been predicted to Kola Abiola that if he didn’t
get his father out of the detention he would die and the man died.

Did you have pre knowledge that,they may kill him?

I am a spiritual person,I just saw it and told Kola Abiola then that he
had not seen his father for the past ten months or more,that if nothing
was done to free him,he might die in the detention because his life was
at stake.

I went to Malunfachi to see Justice Nasir, Kola and Dr. Ore
Falomo said the man had been in detention for so long and that nothing would
happen to him. But I told him that by the time he died, there would be need
to be concerned.
Major Al Mustapha accused some chieftains of NADECO of betraying
Chief M K O Abiola, that when General Abdulsalam Abubakar became head of
State and he met with some of them,they were accused of saying they had
forgotten everything about June 12 and their  interest was to move
Nigeria forward.

I don’t know anything about that; what I know
is that when Abacha died, through the assistance of Ibrahim
Babangiga,  Abdulsalam became the Head of State. At that time, his  letter of
retirement from the military had been on the table of Abacha,so that he
would be retired and Abacha would return as the President.
Within three days we met with Ibrahim Babangiga and agreed to scrap the
five political parties existing then. We both agreed that there would be
two political parties.
We agreed that Afenifere should join a party, which was All People’s
Party APP, which they pulled out of the arrangement at the 11th hour to
form Alliance for Democracy. Though they did not meet the requirements,
the party was registered.

While this arrangement for forming political parties was on, did
those promoting the idea envisage that MKO would be an obstacle by
insisting on his mandate?

Abiola was dead while the arrangement for forming political parties was
on, I don’t want to go into conspiracy theory.

 The feeling is that some people betrayed him.
I hate to accuse people, especially NADECO. The group fought for the
enthronement of democracy in Nigeria. Chief Abraham Adesanya showed me
marks of gun shots at the back of his head,though the bullets did not
harm him,but the bullet removed all grains of hair at the place he was
shot
How can one accuse people who put their lives on the line, of
betrayal? Some were  flippant when they made comments, but when one considers
those that died,like Alhaja Suliat Adedeji and a host of others, one will
appreciate the enormous price paid for the enthronement of democracy.

 Al Mustapha alleged that some NADECO chieftains were in Abuja
immediately M K O was killed and when leaving, they said issues of June
12 should be forgotten.
Is Al Mustapha now the hero that people should be quoting? Let us leave
him out of this, he has his own issues. God has been fair to him for
keeping him alive, for that he should thank God.
We should not throw mud at people’s  legacy. I  can’t throw mud at
Abiola, Bola Ige or Abraham Adesanya legacy.
The NADECO people are heroes, particularly what they did to stabilise the
polity when Abdulsalam took over. This democracy we are enjoying now if
not for the sacrifice of NADECO chieftains, we
wouldn’t have it.
I don’t believe in soiling people’s reputation.
Somebody like Bola Ige, Ayo Opadokun are heroes and we should write about
them positively.
Here in Nigeria we pull down everything, it is better we write on things
that edify some of these people.
Many of these people struggled for the enthronement of democracy, so it
is not fair to now castigate them despite the sacrifice they made.