How Abacha Pressured Me Into Partaking In His Coup – Gen. Abdulsalami

Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has said that General Sani Abacha personally summoned and pressured him to accept appointment as Chief of Army Staff during the November 1993 coup. He recently had his say in Chapter 17 of Abubakar’s 264-page, 27-chapter autobiography titled “Call of Duty” following its public presentation at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Revealing that he twice rejected the appointment as Chief of Army Staff offered by Abacha after the coup that toppled the Interim National Government, Abdulsalami disclosed that he told Abacha he didn’t want to be made a tool in the hands of civilians seeking to use the military.

The retired military officer added that he only accepted the COAS position on the condition that he would never stop telling Sani the truth.

His words, “He asked if I was aware that Abacha and Gusau had travelled to Abuja. I was surprised and asked why they should travel to Abuja, because Abacha himself asked me to see him the next day.

He said, ‘These Army guys are thinking of a coup. Let me tell you that the Navy would not be a part of it.’ I immediately told him to count me out, as I was not in the know.

I was surprised that Abacha knew he would be travelling to Abuja and still asked me to see him on Tuesday. If there was any rumour of a coup, this was the first time I heard it.

I replied, ‘Like what?’ He said, ‘You people are trying to remove Chief Ernest Shonekan.’ I said I had no idea, but that he should let me find out. That was the second time I was hearing the rumour.

That evening, around 9 pm, Shonekan resigned as Head of the Interim National Government, and Abacha moved to claim power.

They left and returned one after the other to tell me that my loyalty would be questioned if I did not attend the meeting.

I replied that it didn’t matter what they thought; since I was not invited, I was not going to attend the meeting.

When I got there, the soldier at the gate said there was an instruction not to allow anybody in and that my name was not on the list of attendees. I went home, thoroughly embarrassed.

He said: ‘Sir, I am giving you orders for the last time.’ I was furious and replied: ‘You are giving me orders for the last time? Who are you? You are foolish!’

He replied: ‘The Commander-in-Chief wants to see you, and we have decided to make you the Chief of Army Staff.’ I called him by name and insulted him before hanging up the phone.

Military discipline was being thrown out of the window within the twinkle of an eye!

He said: ‘Abdul, if I make you the Chief of Army Staff, would you accept to work with me?’ This Chief of Army Staff matter again! I asked him to repeat the question. He smiled.

I told him that he and Babangida had roasted me and put me under a difficult situation when they were telling everybody I had been appointed Chief of Army Staff, whereas there was no such thing.

I then made two requests. One was that I would agree to be his Chief of Army Staff, but I wouldn’t hear my retirement over the radio if and when he found me as a thorn in his flesh. Instead, I should be politely told to go home.

Secondly, my relationship with him would never change, as I would always tell him the truth. I said that if he accepted my conditions, I would accept his offer. ‘Okay, thank you,’ he replied.”

WOW.