General Abdulsalami Abubakar, a former military Head of State, says late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, acclaimed winner of the June 12 1993 Presidential election in Nigeria, died after falling ill and was not killed.
Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, he explained that
this was contrary to insinuations that Abiola took tea that was allegedly
poisoned, before he passed on.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar further explained, “Well, I
smile because there were lots of allegations here and there that we killed
Abiola. As always when I am talking about late Abiola, I still thank God for
directing me on things to do when he gave me the leadership of this country.”
He stated that “on the day Moshood Abiola passed away, may
he rest in peace, two to three things made him always say he thanked God for
the guidance He gave him, adding that he received a delegation from America
headed by Pickering who was then the secretary of state or so and the team was
Susan Rice.”
He added that after the normal courtesy and discussion they
had, when they were leaving his office, Pickering said, “Your Excellency we
made a request to see Moshood Abiola but we were denied”, so I said “Why were
you denied? Who denied you?” There and then I made a decision, I said “Look,
you will see Moshood definitely, I overruled whoever said you cannot see him”.
So I now called my chief security officer, I said, “Please make arrangement for
this team to see Abiola,” that is one point.”
He said that during the incarceration of Moshood Abiola,
except his personal doctor, to his knowledge, no member of his family saw him
and when he became Head of State, based on consultation and interaction
together with Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, he gave the family a date that they
could come and see him.
He explained that a day before he died, his family came to
Abuja to see him, stressing that for one reason or the other, the whole family
could not see him at the same time, so it was agreed that when this group of
his family will see him today, tomorrow the next team will see him.
He said, “So they saw him like yesterday, now this team from
US came to see me and I said they could see him. Normally it was in the
evenings the family go and see him. So because I had authorized the American
team to see him, so the other part of the family were waiting to see him.”
The former Head of State stated that “it was at this meeting
when the American team was meeting Abiola that he fell sick and suddenly the
security officers called the medical team to come and attend to him”, adding
that when they saw the situation, they said it was severe and they needed to
take him to the medical centre.
He explained that it was the medical team plus the American
team that took him to the medical centre, unfortunately at the medical centre
he gave up.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar further explained that it was
then his security chief called and said, “I have bad news for you”, I asked
what it was, he said, “Abiola is dead”. I was shocked.
He said his security chief told him that he was there with
the American team, at that time he (former head of state) was staying in the
barracks, he had not moved to the villa, saying, “so I said okay, let him take
the American team to my house, I will meet them at the house; so I closed from
the office, and went there.”
The former Head of State stated that the issue was how would
he break the news to Abiola’s family and how do his government tell the world
Abiola had passed on, saying that he must be thankful to God and again to
Ambassador Kingibe because they called on him and asked him to bring the family
of Abiola and when they came, he broke the news.