Eighteen days after the public presentation of former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida’s memoir, A Journey in Service, the immediate family of the late military dictator, General Sani Abacha has formally reacted to the publication.
Recall that General Babangida who was the military president when June 12, 1993 presidential election, won by the late business mogul and presidential candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party, Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Abiola was annulled has claimed in the book that his Defense Minister, General Sani Abacha was the mastermind of the annulment.
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Babangida who acknowledged that Bashorun Abiola won the election further claimed that he sustained the annulment to save the nation from avoidable turmoil and the life of Abiola who later died in military solitary confinement in 1998.
A statement signed by Mohammed Abacha, on behalf of the Abacha family, absolved the late military dictator of the annulment of Abiola’s mandate as he noted that Babangida “who, as the then Head of State, held absolute executive powers and was solely responsible for the actions of his government.”
The Abacha family dismissed General Babangida’s account as “a deliberate distortion of historical facts.”
The statement read in part:” Our attention has been drawn to recent claims made by former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, in his newly launched book, “A Journey in Service”, where he alleged that the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election was the responsibility of the late General Sani Abacha. These claims have sparked widespread controversy and necessitate a clear response from the immediate family of General Sani Abacha and the entire Abacha clan in the interest of historical accuracy and justice.
Full Text of the Press Release:
Our attention has been drawn to recent claims made by former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, in his newly launched book, A Journey in Service, where he alleged that the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election was the responsibility of the late General Sani Abacha. These claims have sparked widespread controversy and necessitate a clear response from the immediate family of General Sani Abacha and the entire Abacha clan in the interest of historical accuracy and justice.
It is important to state unequivocally that General Sani Abacha was neither the Head of State nor the Commander-in-Chief at the time the June 12 election was annulled. The decision to annul the election was made under the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, who, as the then Head of State, held absolute executive powers and was solely responsible for the actions of his government. Any attempt to shift this blame onto General Sani Abacha, who was a very senior military officer within the regime, is a deliberate distortion of historical facts.
For years, various actors have attempted to rewrite the history of that critical period in Nigeria’s democratic evolution. However, the facts remain unchanged. We urge Nigerians to be wary of revisionist narratives that seek to manipulate public perception for personal or political reasons. The memory of our late father and leader, General Sani Abacha, must not be tarnished by baseless accusations meant to absolve those who were truly responsible.
Furthermore, we wish to emphasize that despite this unfortunate attempt to shift blame, General Sani Abacha remained a true and loyal friend to General Ibrahim Babangida up to the time of his death. He was a man of unwavering commitment to his comrades. We also find it necessary to state that at the time General Babangida’s life was under threat, it was General Abacha who came to his rescue, ensuring his safety.
We are also of the opinion that the book was written in bad faith. Ab initio, it appears to be driven by lingering ill feelings towards General Sani Abacha. Despite spanning over 400 pages, it does not contain a single picture of General Abacha—the same person General Babangida acknowledged as having saved his life and remained his ally, friend, and colleague for over 30 years. This is further underscored by the fact that no invitation was extended to the Abacha family for the book launch.
It is clear that these bad feelings have weighed on him for years. We can only hope that after keeping them bottled up for so long, he has now found peace within himself.
We take this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation to the many Nigerians who have risen in defense of General Sani Abacha in an effort to set the record straight. Your unwavering commitment to truth and historical accuracy is deeply appreciated, and we acknowledge the outpouring of support from those who refuse to allow history to be distorted.
While we recognize that history will continue to be debated, we believe that honesty and integrity must guide such discussions. We also call on all well-meaning Nigerians and historians to remain committed to the truth and reject any attempt to misrepresent the past for personal gain. Worthy of note also is the fact that it is tantamount to the celebration of deceit to gloss over the numerous achievements and contributions of late General Abacha to the overall development of Nigeria. No amount of lies and quantum of misinformation would erase the historical records that dot the length and breadth of this country, keeping the Abacha legacy of service delivery as a model.
We do know for a fact that if General Abacha were alive, these accusations—deficient in truth and sincerity—would never have been mentioned. As the Hausa saying goes, Kura ma ta san gidan mai babban sanda (Even the hyena knows the house of the man who wields the big stick).
As we reflect on Nigeria’s history, we acknowledge General Sani Abacha’s time in leadership and the role he played in the nation’s development. His contributions, like those of past leaders, remain part of our country’s history. We believe that history is best judged with fairness and objectivity.
We regret that A *Journey in Service *missed the opportunity and failed to make history as a truthful and objective account of past events. As one public commentator aptly put it, honesty, sincerity, and integrity are virtues not commonly associated with the author.”