Babangida claims Abacha violently plotted to overthrow him

Former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has unveiled how his friend, late General Sani Abacha plotted to violently overthrow his administration, despite their deep relationship.

He also revealed the hatred late Abacha had for the claimed winner of the annulled June 13 election, Chief MKO Abiola.

Babangida made these revelations in his new literary work – “A Journey in Service” presented to the public on Thursday in Abuja.

The former maximum leader said in the book that Abacha was one of his biggest headaches during his unending transition programme to civil rule.

Admitting that though Abacha once saved his life and risked his life to ensure that he (Babangida) took over in 1985, the warlord of Minna Hilltop mansion described the Kano-born general as a complex character, whose intention cannot be easily understood.

Babangida on pages 278 and 279 of his book painted the relationship that existed between him and his comrade at arms while he was in the military.

He wrote: “Without question, one of my biggest headaches at this time was Sani Abacha. I knew that Abacha was ambivalent about a return to civil rule. But I thought, in retrospect now, naively, that he would support our transition to civil rule programme.

“As I said earlier, Abacha and I had come a long way. We were good friends, and he had indeed been nice to me. As I have said elsewhere, he saved my life once and also risked his life to ensure that I took over in 1985. I could never forget those details.

“But it’s also correct that he was a complex character. He was capable of bottling up a lot inside without giving a hint of where he was. And then, suddenly, the bottle bursts, and we begin to see a different person.”

He further said: “I obviously didn’t know everything about him! For instance, I was alarmed to discover that he and a handful of others mobilised negative opinions against me within the military, portraying me as the problem. That campaign was geared towards a violent military coup to remove me as President forcefully.

“But even more bizarre for me was my discovery of the loathing that Abacha had for the person of Abiola, whom I thought had a good relationship with him.”