comment on Abiola’s death, Bamaiyi’s claim

Abdulsalami Abubakar

Former Nigerian Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Friday, declined to comment on allegations made by a former Chief of Army Staff , Ishaya Bamaiyi, on the death of the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election, Moshood Abiola.

Mr. Bamaiyi had in a new book, ‘Vindication of a General’, alleged that Mr. Abubakar knew about Mr. Abiola’s death.
“I believe only Gen. Abubakar and those he used to handle Abiola’s death can tell Nigerians how Chief M . K. O . Abiola died. Abiola could not have died the way he reportedly died,” he had claimed in the book.
He had added that the late businessman could not have died of natural causes, adding that he was full of life when they met.

Mr. Abubakar, who chaired the book launch of Olusegun Adeniyi ’s ‘Against the Run of Play’ in Lagos, however, said he had no comment on Mr. Bamaiyi’ s allegations when probed by journalists.
“I have no comments… no comments!” he told journalists who asked him to comment on the issue, then moved slowly towards his vehicle.

Mr. Abiola was acclaimed to have won the 1993 presidential election, which was annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida, Nigeria’s then head of state.
In 1994, after he pronounced himself winner of the election, the late Abeokuta-born politician was arrested by the late Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s military ruler at the time.

 Mr. Abiola would later die in prison in 1998, a few weeks after the death of Mr. Abacha, who was succeeded by Mr. Abubakar.