Former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has dismissed long-standing claims that the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, was poisoned in detention.
Abdulsalami made the clarification in his autobiography, Call of Duty, one of three books publicly presented in Abuja as part of events marking his 84th birthday.
In the book, the former Head of State said Abiola’s death was investigated through an autopsy carried out by medical experts from Nigeria and three foreign countries.
According to him, the result of the autopsy showed that Abiola died from natural causes.
“I do not believe Abiola was poisoned. The family requested an autopsy, and we assembled American, British, Nigerian, and Canadian pathologists to conduct it. The autopsy report attributed his death to natural causes,” Abdulsalami wrote.
Abiola died on July 7, 1998, shortly after he reportedly collapsed during a meeting with a visiting American delegation.
The delegation included the then United States Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, Tom Pickering, and the then Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Susan Rice.
Abdulsalami’s comments are contained in Chapter 21 of the 264-page autobiography, which has 27 chapters.
The former Nigerian leader also addressed the annulment of the June 12 election, insisting that he had no prior knowledge of the decision taken by the then military President, General Ibrahim Babangida.
Abdulsalami said that although many people believed he must have been aware of the development because of his closeness to Babangida, he only heard about the annulment through the news like other Nigerians.
He explained that at the time, he was serving at the Army Headquarters as Chief of Policy and Plans and was not a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, which was the highest ruling body in the country.
“At the time of the annulment, I was at the Army Headquarters as the Chief of Policy and Plans. I was fully engaged in the military in any capacity. I was not even a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, the country’s highest ruling body. I heard of the annulment in the news like every other Nigerian,” he wrote.
The former Head of State also gave a fresh account of the events surrounding the death of General Sani Abacha on June 8, 1998.
He said the circumstances of that day left him with the feeling that “something was fishy.”
According to him, he and the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ishaya Bamaiyi, were kept inside a waiting room at the Presidential Villa for almost an hour before they were eventually informed that Abacha had died.
Abdulsalami said the incident marked the beginning of events that led to his emergence as Nigeria’s 11th Head of State.
The revelations formed part of the highlights of the public presentation of three books in Abuja. The books are Call of Duty, Nigeria’s Grand Patriot, and Mediating for Peace in Africa.
The event attracted several African leaders and former Nigerian leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima; President of Sierra Leone and Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Julius Maada Bio; former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon; former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan; and former South African President, Thabo Mbeki.
President Tinubu described Abdulsalami as a statesman whose life had been defined by duty, moderation, courage and commitment to national service.
He said Abdulsalami played a historic role in returning Nigeria to democratic rule in 1999, adding that the transition he supervised gave birth to the Fourth Republic, Nigeria’s longest uninterrupted democratic period.
Tinubu said many Nigerians who have served in public office since 1999 were beneficiaries of the democratic foundation laid by Abdulsalami.
The President also directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to allocate a suitable parcel of land in Abuja for the Abdulsalami Abubakar African Resource Centre.
Former South African President, Thabo Mbeki, in his keynote address, praised Abdulsalami for placing Nigeria’s interest above personal ambition at a difficult moment in the country’s history.
General Yakubu Gowon, who chaired the occasion, said Abdulsalami’s role in Nigeria’s transition from military to civilian rule remained one of the most important examples of leadership in Africa.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan also hailed Abdulsalami for resisting pressure from powerful interests within the military who wanted him to remain in office after Abacha’s death.
“If there is anybody we can give credit to for stabilising democracy in Nigeria today, it is General Abdulsalami Abubakar,” Jonathan said.
Former President Obasanjo recalled that one of Abdulsalami’s first major actions in office was the release of political prisoners, including himself.
Obasanjo said Abdulsalami also worked toward securing Abiola’s release before the sudden death of the acclaimed winner of the annulled 1993 election.
President Bio of Sierra Leone said the three books captured the life of a man who had dedicated himself to service, patriotism and peacebuilding.
The book presentation also attracted major donations from prominent Nigerians and institutions.
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, donated ₦500 million, while Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, donated ₦250 million. The Senate donated ₦100 million, while the House of Representatives contributed ₦50 million.
Governors, commercial banks and other dignitaries also made donations at the event.
Other prominent figures present included the Prime Minister of Niger, Ali Lamine Zeine; former Vice Presidents Namadi Sambo and Yemi Osinbajo; and several serving and former public office holders
