By Jude Opara, Abuja
 
About 29 years after the controversial June 12, 1993 presidential election, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar has said that the acclaimed winner of the election, Chief Moshood Abiola was not killed but died after taking ill. Abubakar who was speaking in an interview with Trust TV, said this was what actually happened contrary to insinuations that Abiola may have been poisoned after taking a cup of tea before he eventually passed on.

The Army General who was also the Head of State at the time equally explained; “Well, I smile because there were lots of allegations here and there that we killed Abiola. As always when I am talking about late Abiola, I still thank God for directing me on things to do when he gave me the leadership of this country.

Abubakar also revealed that after the normal courtesy and discussion they had, when they were leaving his office, Pickering said; “Your Excellency we made a request to see Moshood Abiola but we were denied”, so I said “Why were you denied? Who denied you?” There and then I made a decision, I said “Look, you will see Moshood definitely; I overruled whoever said you cannot see him”. So I now called my Chief Security Officer, I said “Please make arrangement for this team to see Abiola,” that is one point.”

According to him, during the incarceration of Abiola, to the best of his knowledge, except his personal doctor, no member of his family saw him and that when he became Head of State, based on consultation and interaction together with Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, he gave the family a date that they could visit him. The former Head of State also revealed that a day before he died, his family came to Abuja to see him, and that for one reason or the other, the whole family could not see him at the same time, so it was agreed that a group will see him that day, while the next batch will see him the following day.

Abubakar continued; “So they saw him like yesterday, now this team from US came to see me and I said they could see him. Normally it was in the evenings the families go and see him. So because I had authorized the American team to see him, so the other part of the family was waiting to see him.
“It was at this meeting when the American team was meeting Abiola that he fell sick and suddenly the security officers called the medical team to come and attend to him”, adding that when they saw the situation, they said it was severe and they needed to take him to the medical centre. He explained that it was the medical team plus the American delegation that took him to the medical centre, where he eventually died.

General Abdulsalami Abubakar further explained that it was then his security chief called and said, “I have bad news for you”, I asked what it was, he said, “Abiola is dead”. I was shocked.
He said his security chief told him that he was there with the American team, at that time he (former head of state) was staying in the barracks, he had not moved to the Villa, saying, “so I said okay, let him take the American team to my house, I will meet them at the house; so I closed from the office, and went there.”

The former Head of State added that the burden on him then was how he would break the news to Abiola’s family and how would his government inform the world that Abiola had passed on.