Babangida Misses Abiola, 22yrs After Denying Him Presidency & Praises Sani Abacha As He Turns 74

Former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), yesterday, said he still misses the man he denied presidency 22 years ago, late Chief Moshood Abiola, who died in government detention in 1998.

Speaking at an interactive session with journalists in Minna, Niger State ahead of his 74th birthday anniversary, Babangida who annuled the 1993 election believed to have been won by Abiola said last week, he searched for one of the letters Abiola wrote him and re-read it.

“Let me see, last week, I dug out one of the letters he wrote to me and I read it. So, that shows that I still miss him.”

He also stated how Abacha saved him from being killed during the Gideon Orkar coup in 1990 which was plotted to oust him from government.

“I can remember fairly well that I had some loyal officers who were supposed to be protectors and bodyguards attached to me. Initially, they said I should move and I told them no, I was not leaving Dodan Barracks. But they remained hard up and very tensed, but very resilient. Later, I carried my family outside Dodan Barracks and joined my guards in battle. So we went out of Dodan Barracks to a safe house where we got in contact with loyal troops. May God bless General Sani Abacha. Sani Abacha was then the Chief of Army Staff. We got in touch with him and told him what was happening and he came down. We talked on what we should do. We rallied round loyal troops and I left my safe house and joined Abacha in his house and that was what happened.”he said

Babangida turns 74 today