Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has explained why the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, was neither immediately released from detention nor sworn in as President after the military government of Gen. Sani Abacha ended in June 1998.
Abdulsalami, who succeeded Abacha following the latter’s death on June 8, 1998, said the option of releasing and installing Abiola as President was considered politically impracticable because it lacked national consensus and risked plunging the country into another round of crisis.
The former Head of State made the disclosure in his autobiography, “Call of Duty: An Autobiography of Gen. Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar”, one of three books unveiled in Abuja yesterday during activities marking his 84th birthday.
In a chapter titled “MKO Abiola’s Sudden Death,” Abdulsalami recalled the difficult decisions his administration faced while attempting to resolve the political crisis that followed the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
According to him, his government adopted a gradual approach to dismantling the repressive policies inherited from the Abacha regime, beginning with the release of pro-democracy activists, detained politicians and military officers convicted over alleged coup plots.
He said Abiola’s release was intended to be the culmination of those efforts, but the process was complicated by divergent political demands and concerns about national stability.
“Abiola’s release was going to be the climax, the best moment, as it were. We were working towards it, holding consultations across the political landscape and waiting for the appropriate window to free him,” Abdulsalami wrote.
He explained that while some politicians and pro-democracy activists demanded that Abiola be immediately freed and sworn in as President based on the June 12 election results, the proposal generated strong opposition from other political interests across the country.
“Releasing Abiola and installing him as President based on the annulled election was not a national consensus. It was not going to fly in most parts of Nigeria. It was easier said than done,” he stated.
The former military ruler revealed that political groups and stakeholders advanced conflicting proposals on how to resolve the crisis.
He said former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar (rtd), suggested that Abiola should head a Government of National Unity while he, Abdulsalami, retained the position of Commander-in-Chief until January 2,000.
The five registered political parties at the time, he disclosed, demanded the dissolution of military-era institutions, including the National Electoral Commission and transition agencies, while the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, called for the dissolution of the political parties and the commencement of an entirely new transition programme.
According to Abdulsalami, while the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, advocated that Abiola be installed as President to serve a four-year term, other regional interests argued that if the country intended to reverse past military interventions, then previous constitutional disruptions should also be revisited.
“Some said President Shehu Shagari, who was overthrown in 1983, should be restored. At another meeting, some politicians argued that if we wanted to go back to June 12, we could as well restore the First Republic which was terminated in 1966,” he wrote.
He recalled that one participant even suggested that former Senate President, Chief Nwafor Orizu, who briefly served as Acting President before the 1966 coup and was still alive at the time, should be reinstated.
The former Head of State said the conflicting positions underscored the absence of consensus on Abiola’s immediate installation as President.
Beyond the political disagreements, Abdulsalami said his administration also had serious security concerns regarding Abiola’s release.
He noted that powerful interests within the system remained opposed to Abiola’s freedom and could potentially undermine efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully.
According to him, the treatment Abiola suffered in detention, including restrictions on family visits and medical access, demonstrated the existence of entrenched forces hostile to the businessman-politician.
“There were people who vehemently opposed his release from detention throughout the time Abacha was in power. All these extremely desperate and dangerous people were lurking within the system,” he wrote.
Abdulsalami disclosed that his administration initially focused on improving Abiola’s living conditions while consultations continued.
He said Abiola was moved to a safer and more comfortable location and granted greater access to family members and his personal physician, Dr. Ore Falomo.
“For the first time in years, his family was allowed to see him and his doctor was given greater access to him. We had no issues with Abiola at all,” he wrote.
The former Head of State further revealed that he had planned to hold a personal meeting with Abiola after completing consultations with key political stakeholders.
According to him, the objective was to discuss possible options for resolving the crisis and understand Abiola’s own views regarding the future political arrangement.
“Some said he should be persuaded to take part in a new transition programme. Some suggested that he be given an eminent role in the Fourth Republic in recognition of his travails and contributions to the enthronement of democracy.
“I needed to discuss with him and understand what was on his own mind,” he stated.
However, Abdulsalami said the meeting never took place because Abiola died before the process could be concluded.
“Unfortunately, our meeting never took place. He died while we were still preparing the ground for his release.
“It is not true that he died on the day we wanted to release him. It was mere speculation. We were in the process, but a final date had not been decided upon,” he wrote.
The former Head of State described Abiola as a respected bridge-builder whose leadership qualities and national outlook were needed in Nigeria.
“I didn’t have a personal relationship with Abiola, but I knew him by reputation. He was someone I respected and saw as a bridge-builder, the kind that Nigeria needs at all times,” he wrote.
Abiola, widely believed to have won the June 12, 1993 presidential election adjudged by many observers as Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll, died in detention on July 7, 1998, a month after Abacha’s death and less than a month after Abdulsalami assumed office.