Former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar has revealed that American officials who met with late businessman and politician Moshood Abiola, better known as MKO Abiola, shortly before his death were initially denied access to him.
Abdulsalami disclosed this in his autobiography scheduled for public presentation in Abuja on Saturday, giving fresh details about the events surrounding Abiola’s death on July 7, 1998.
Abiola, widely regarded as the winner of Nigeria’s annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, died during a meeting with a United States delegation in Abuja after he developed a cough.
At the time, his death triggered unrest in Lagos as rumours spread that he had been poisoned after taking tea allegedly offered by members of the American delegation.
According to Abdulsalami, the US team had come to Nigeria in July 1998 to assess the political situation following the death of former military ruler Sani Abacha.
The delegation included former US ambassador to Nigeria Tom Pickering and Susan Rice, who was then Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
He said the delegation informed him they had requested to see Abiola but were denied access.
“I was surprised they were denied access. I was not in the picture. I immediately called my CSO, Abdulrasheed Aliyu, and instructed him to arrange for them to see Abiola,” he wrote.
Abdulsalami said he later received a call informing him that Abiola had become restless, started coughing and sweating during the meeting before he was taken to the State House Clinic where he died.
The former military leader said Abiola’s death raised fears of another political crisis, coming barely one month after Abacha’s sudden death.
Addressing claims that Abiola was poisoned, Abdulsalami said he did not believe there was foul play.
According to him, the Abiola family requested an autopsy which was carried out by pathologists from Nigeria, the United States, Britain and Canada.
He said the report attributed Abiola’s death to heart-related medical conditions and ruled out poisoning.
“I was satisfied with the outcome of the autopsy and I had no reason to believe there was foul play,” he stated.
MKO Abiola had been detained in 1994 after declaring himself president following the annulment of the June 12 election by the military government.
