Abubakar Hashim
The family of late Sani Abacha, today, reacted in a statement signed by the eldest son, Mohamed Abacha, that Ibrahim Babangida is solely responsible for the cancellation of June 12, 1993 Presidential elections won by late MKO Abiola.
The statement reads, “ it is important to state unequivocally that General Sani Abacha was neither the Head of State nor the Commander in Chief at the time June 12 election was annulled. General Babangida, as Head of State and Commander in Chief, was in charge and had absolute executive powers. Any attempt to shift the blame onto General Abacha, who was a very senior military officer with the regime, as the Chief of Defence Staff, is a deliberate distortion of historical facts”.
The statement continues, “Honesty, sincerity and integrity are virtues not commonly associated with the author as attested by many political pundits. As Military President, Babangida withheld absolute control of power and decision making and should be held responsible for all that happened when he held sway”
In my earlier published article, I delved into the cordial relationship between Babangida and Abacha and the two were loyal to each other.
Both had unquenchable thirst and utter lust for power and wealth.
Both had their names on major highways in Liberia and in Sierra Leone. In Liberia, the highway at the Liberia border with Sierra Leone onto Monrovia city was named Babangida highway by late Liberian President Samuel Doe.
In Sierra Leone, a major street in the heart of the capital city of Freetown was named by late President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Abacha street.
The two are regarded as heroes in Liberia and in Sierra Leone in ending the two wars and restoration of sanity in the two countries.
In Nigeria, late MKO Abiola knew it was Babangida who annulled his victory. He even fielded some names for ministerial positions in the Abacha cabinet, with the hope and fallacious promise by Abacha to hand over power to him.
Abacha died in power, followed by Abiola a month later.