The late previous Nigerian military ruler, General Sani Abacha, who ruled the nation from 1993 up until his death in 1998, deceived political leaders to enter into power, according to General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, commonly known as IBB, Daily Trust reports.

In an interview with Trust TV, IBB spoke on how Abacha outfoxed them and entered power.

Abacha, whom IBB referred to as his “great pal”, likewise served as the Chief of Army Staff during the latter’s military routine from 1985 and was consequently appointed the Minister of Defence under the exact same federal government in 1990.

IBB said, “Abacha’s federal government was very smart. They understood who were the most vociferous discussants about the election, about the coup, about June 12 and so on. They began speaking to them and sold a dummy to them and motivated them to eliminate the interim government; ‘when we eliminate the interim federal government, we will bring you back to come and take over your democracy so that a civilian federal government would be installed’.

“They sold that dummy to the public and to some popular persons within the society, and when Abacha stepped in, there were drumming and sighs; ‘Good thing! Next thing is going to be a democratically-elected federal government’. I understood, we knew, that it would not be due to the fact that the argument was: ‘Why should I risk my life only to come and hand over power to you?’ That was what occurred.”

He also confessed that regardless of being close allies, Abacha’s military coup did not amaze him.

“I understood it will come as a surprise due to the fact that although I was outside– outside the service– I knew what was going on,” he explained.

Abacha had functioned as the Minister of Defence and the most senior military officer had actually pertained to power by ousting the interim national federal government formed by IBB and headed by Ernest Shonekan, by requiring the latter to resign.

In a commonly circulated broadcast on November 17, 1993, Abacha announced to the nation that he had taken over from Shonekan as a result of sociopolitical unpredictabilities as the time.

ToriNG