Abdulsalami reveals Abacha pressured him over army post

Abdulsalami Abacha army post revelations detail how Abacha pressured him to accept a top military role after the 1993 coup

Former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, has revealed that late military ruler Sani Abacha personally pressured him to accept appointment as Chief of Army Staff following the November 1993 coup that removed the Interim National Government.

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The disclosure is contained in Chapter 17 of Abdulsalami’s autobiography, Call of Duty, which was unveiled on Saturday during an event marking his 84th birthday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to the former Head of State, he rejected the offer twice because he did not want to become a tool in the hands of civilians seeking to manipulate the military for political purposes.

Abdulsalami recounted that he was serving as Commandant of the National War College, now known as the National Defence College, when the political crisis triggered by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election intensified.

At the time, Abacha was Minister of Defence under the Interim National Government and remained the most senior serving military officer in government.

The former military leader said his first indication of an impending coup came from then Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Suleiman Saidu, who visited him at home and warned that some Army officers were planning to overthrow the government.

According to Abdulsalami, Saidu informed him that the Navy would not participate in any such action. Abdulsalami said he immediately distanced himself from the alleged plan, insisting he had no knowledge of it.

A second warning reportedly came from the late Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who telephoned him to inquire about rumours that Chief Ernest Shonekan was about to be removed from office.

Abdulsalami said he remained unaware of any plot until Shonekan resigned on November 17, 1993, paving the way for Abacha to assume power.

He further disclosed that attempts were made to compel him to attend a meeting of senior military officers at the Flag Staff House after the coup, but he repeatedly declined because he had not been formally invited.

Even after several senior officers warned that his loyalty could be questioned, Abdulsalami maintained his position.

When he eventually stopped by the venue out of curiosity, he was denied entry after security personnel informed him that his name was not on the attendance list.

The situation took a dramatic turn the following day when an officer telephoned him and claimed he had been selected as Chief of Army Staff.

Abdulsalami said he angrily rejected the manner in which the information was conveyed before later receiving a direct call from Abacha.

During a private meeting at the Flag Staff House, Abacha again asked whether he would accept the position of Chief of Army Staff.

Abdulsalami said he agreed only after setting two conditions.

He requested that he should never learn of his removal through a radio announcement and insisted that he would continue to speak honestly to Abacha regardless of the consequences.

According to the memoir, Abacha accepted the conditions.

Despite the agreement, Abdulsalami later learned that plans to appoint him as Army Chief had been reversed after he left the meeting.

He was subsequently informed by colleagues that he was among 15 senior officers allegedly pencilled down for retirement.

Among those reportedly listed were Major-General John Shagaya, Major-General Lawrence Onoja, Major-General Raji Rasaki, Major-General Tunde Ogbeha and Major-General David Mark.

However, the anticipated retirements never materialised.

Instead, Abdulsalami said he was unexpectedly informed by a journalist that he had been appointed Chief of Defence Staff, the highest-ranking military position in the country at the time.

The former Head of State described the development as surprising and acknowledged that it signalled the beginning of a challenging period for the armed forces.

The autobiography also offers rare insight into Abdulsalami’s longstanding relationship with Abacha, which dated back to their school years in Northern Nigeria.

He recalled that both played football against each other during inter-school competitions before later serving together in the military.

In one of the book’s most striking revelations, Abdulsalami recounted warning Abacha against arbitrary retirements of senior military officers, predicting that one day he could hear his own removal announced on the radio if such practices continued.

Abdulsalami eventually succeeded Abacha as Head of State following the latter’s sudden death in June 1998. He subsequently supervised Nigeria’s transition to democratic rule and handed over power to Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999.

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The book launch was attended by President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, alongside senior government officials, military veterans and political leaders.

Victory Emmanuel