Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday disclosed that former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), was in the final stages of securing the release of the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, before his sudden death in detention.
Obasanjo made the revelation at the public presentation of three books in honour of Abdulsalami’s 84th birthday, titled “The Legacy of a Statesman @84,” held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Paying tribute to the former military ruler, Obasanjo described Abdulsalami as “a soldier, a gentleman, a patriot, a nationalist and a peacemaker” whose leadership helped steer Nigeria through one of the most uncertain periods in its history following the death of General Sani Abacha in June 1998.
He said Abdulsalami successfully managed the political turbulence that followed Abacha’s demise, taking decisive steps that included the release of political detainees and efforts to free Abiola, whose incarceration had become a symbol of the struggle for democracy.
“You sagaciously managed the seeming confusion and uncertainty that followed Abacha’s death. You emerged from the cloud and carefully proceeded to untangle the nation,” Obasanjo said.
“Political prisoners were released, and I was one of them. As has been said by the President of the Senate, the National Assembly is a beneficiary of that process.
“Your next move was how to get MKO Abiola released. You kept me regularly informed and also conveyed messages to the family.
“Kola was already in Abuja to pick up his father when the unexpected happened. I remember you telling me on the telephone, ‘our man is dead.'”
Obasanjo credited Abdulsalami with laying the foundation for Nigeria’s current democratic order by ensuring a swift transition from military rule to civilian governance.
“Within less than one year of your assumption of office, democracy was restored in Nigeria,” he said.