NADECO rejects Abdulsalami’s claims on Abiola, military rule

Prominent leaders of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Col. Tony Nyiam (retd.) and Chief Ayo Opadokun, have refuted claims made by former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) in his autobiography. Abubakar alleged that NADECO leaders privately requested an extension of military rule in 1998.

Nyiam and Opadokun also contested Abubakar's assertion that the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, was not poisoned. They described his account of the events surrounding Abiola's death as unconvincing.

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I am not sure which NADECO Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar is referring to. To the best of my knowledge, the leader of NADECO was Chief Anthony Enahoro, and while he was briefing all of us, he insisted that Gen Abdulsalami should carry out due process by giving Nigeria a people’s constitution to create an enabling environment for genuine democracy.

In his book, "Call of Duty," Abubakar claimed that some NADECO leaders appealed to him to prolong the military transition, believing in his commitment to hand over power in 1999. He stated he rejected this request and dismissed the widespread belief that Abiola was poisoned, citing an autopsy conducted by international pathologists that concluded Abiola died of natural causes related to hypertension and heart disease.

Reacting to these claims, Nyiam and Opadokun described Abubakar's account as inaccurate. Nyiam, a key NADECO member abroad, stated he was unaware of any recognized leader requesting an extension of military rule, emphasizing that NADECO's objective was to end military dictatorship. He recalled that Abubakar sent an emissary, Olowu, to meet NADECO leaders in exile, including Bola Tinubu, in London. During this meeting, Nyiam asserted, the coalition unanimously insisted on a credible democratic transition, not an extension of military rule. Opadokun echoed these sentiments, challenging the narrative surrounding Abiola's death and the alleged request for continued military governance.

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When Gen Abdulsalami sent an emissary, Olowu, to meet with us, Tinubu invited all the key NADECO people. I travelled from Edinburgh to London for that meeting. The man sought our opinion, and what all of us insisted on was that the handover should be properly done to create a system that would bring in democracy.