Former Head of State Reveals He Advised Obasanjo Against 1999 Presidential Run

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has revealed that he explicitly advised General Olusegun Obasanjo to drop his 1999 presidential ambitions immediately following his release from prison in 1998.

The disclosures are detailed in Abdulsalami’s newly released autobiography, Call of Duty, which was presented at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The event marked the former leader’s 84th birthday and was attended by prominent state officials.

According to the memoir, Obasanjo approached the then-Head of State shortly after regaining his freedom to discuss two pressing issues: his plan to sue the Federal Government over his wrongful imprisonment under the previous military regime, and an invitation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the presidency.

Abdulsalami recounts advising Obasanjo against a protracted legal battle, suggesting instead that the government look into financial compensation for the collapse of his businesses during his detention. Regarding the presidency, Abdulsalami states he told Obasanjo point-blank to return home, thank God for surviving the four-year ordeal, and forget about the race. While Obasanjo promised to reflect on the conversation, he never followed up with the military ruler.

The memoir firmly distances the Abdulsalami administration from Obasanjo’s ultimate rise to power, dismissing popular speculation that the military government engineered his candidacy. Abdulsalami notes that his administration issued a blanket pardon to all political prisoners rather than favoring any individual, adding that behind-the-scenes engineering was the work of private initiatives led by other retired generals.

Key Historical Transitions Detailed in the Memoir

The book sheds light on several critical compromises and behind-the-scenes pressures that shaped Nigeria’s transition from military rule to the Fourth Republic:

Electoral Rule Flexibility: Abdulsalami admits to deliberately adjusting transitional requirements to register the Alliance for Democracy (AD). Despite the party failing to meet the national footprint criteria, the administration adjusted the guidelines to allow the third-place party entry, aiming to prevent the South-West region from feeling marginalized.

The Transition Timeline: The transition date was shifted to May 1999 following a specific request from the judiciary. Then-Chief Justice Muhammadu Uwais noted that courts required at least 60 days post-election to resolve outstanding legal disputes before a formal inauguration could take place.

Resisting Extension Pressure: The administration faced significant pushback against the swift transition timeline from internal military factions, West African heads of state, and surprisingly, elements of the pro-democracy group NADECO, who felt unprepared for immediate politicking and requested more time.

Abdulsalami concludes the historical account by noting that despite intense systemic pressures, he felt no temptation to prolong his stay in office, recognizing that the country was at a dangerous breaking point and required an immediate return to constitutional democracy.