Nyiam, Opadokun reject Abdulsalami’s claim that Abiola died of natural causes, NADECO requested military rule extension
Retired Col. Tony Nyiam has rejected a claim in former military head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar’s memoir that Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election, died of natural causes. A prominent leader of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Chief Ayo Opadokun, also shared Nyiam’s view.
Abdulsalami, in his recently launched autobiography, “Call of Duty,” claimed that Abiola died of natural causes on July 7, 1998, insisting that an autopsy conducted by pathologists from Nigeria, the United States, Britain and Canada blamed hypertension and heart disease.
Abdulsalami also alleged that some leaders of NADECO privately appealed to him to prolong the military transition beyond 1999.
According to the former military ruler, the request came about two to three months into his administration.
Abdulsalami said he rejected the request, asking the group to acknowledge it publicly if they were serious.
Reacting in separate interviews per Punch Newspaper report, Nyiam and Opadokun described Abdulsalami’s account as inaccurate.
Nyiam, a key member of NADECO abroad, said he was unaware of any recognised leader of the coalition who demanded an extension of military rule, stressing that the group’s struggle was aimed at ending military dictatorship, not prolonging it.
Nyiam said, “I am not sure which NADECO Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar is referring to. To the best of my knowledge, the leader of NADECO was Chief Anthony Enahoro, and while he was briefing all of us, he insisted that Gen Abdulsalami should carry out due process by giving Nigeria a people’s constitution to create an enabling environment for genuine democracy,” he said.
According to him, Enahoro’s position was that the transition should produce a Constitution agreed upon by Nigerians through a national conference rather than the 1999 Constitution, which he said was imposed by the military.
Nyiam recalled that Abdulsalami sent a close associate, Olowu, to meet NADECO leaders in exile, including the current President, Bola Tinubu, who was then based in London.
He said Tinubu invited key NADECO figures from across Europe to the meeting, where the coalition unanimously insisted on a credible democratic transition rather than an extension of military rule.
“When Gen Abdulsalami sent an emissary, Olowu, to meet with us, Tinubu invited all the key NADECO people. I travelled from Edinburgh to London for that meeting. The man sought our opinion, and what all of us insisted on was that the handover should be properly done to create a system that would bring in democracy.
“There was nobody, to my knowledge, whether Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Chief Anthony Enahoro or any other person from NADECO abroad, who ever asked him to extend military rule. Who would have done that when what we were all fighting for was to end military rule?” Nyiam asked.
Nyiam also faulted Abdulsalami’s account of Abiola’s death.
“I am surprised by his claim that nobody did anything bad to Chief MKO Abiola. From all the evidence we have heard, I doubt his position, with all respect to my senior.
“Chief MKO Abiola was done away with by those who did not want him to govern,” he said.
He challenged the former Head of State to identify those who allegedly betrayed Abiola during the struggle.
“He should name those who betrayed Chief MKO Abiola. Those I know who remained committed to the struggle were Chief Anthony Enahoro, Gen Alani Akinrinade, Bola Tinubu, who spent a lot of his money, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and Prof Wole Soyinka, even though he led NALICON and not NADECO directly. They can all confirm what we are saying.
“It is not true that any worthwhile leader of NADECO requested the General to extend his stay. It is also not true, in my opinion, that his account of Chief MKO Abiola’s death tells the full story,” Nyiam stated.
Also speaking, former NADECO General Secretary, Chief Ayo Opadokun, said Abdulsalami appeared to have misconstrued discussions held between his emissaries and NADECO leaders in exile.
“He was not talking about us in Nigeria. He was referring to NADECO abroad because he sent emissaries to meet them.
“What NADECO abroad asked was that Abdulsalami should prepare a programme for stability by ensuring that a people’s constitution was produced before elections were conducted,” Opadokun said.
According to him, the coalition advocated forming a government of national unity headed by Abiola rather than extending military rule.
“They wanted a situation where a valid and acceptable constitution was in place before elections.
“We asked him to form a government of national unity to be headed by Chief MKO Abiola. I documented this in the NADECO story,” he said.
Opadokun added that reports reaching him from former NADECO leaders abroad indicated that Abdulsalami had misunderstood the purpose of the discussions held with his representatives.
“I have received reports from some of our people abroad that he seems to be misconstruing their discussions with the emissary he sent to them as requesting an extension of military rule, which is not true,” he said.
