Update: NADECO Leaders Confront Abdulsalami's Autobiography Claims on Abiola, Military Rule

Prominent figures from the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), including Col Tony Nyiam (retd.) and Chief Ayo Opadokun, have openly refuted assertions made by former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.). Abubakar, in his recently released autobiography titled “Call of Duty,” claimed that certain NADECO leaders had privately requested an extension of military governance in 1998. The duo also challenged Abubakar’s declaration that the late Chief MKO Abiola, presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, was not poisoned, arguing that his narration of Abiola’s demise was unconvincing.

General Abdulsalami’s book suggests that a few months into his administration, some NADECO members, supposedly convinced of his commitment to a 1999 handover, approached him to prolong the military transition. He stated that he declined this request, challenging them to make such a public appeal if they were truly serious. Furthermore, the former military leader dismissed the long-held belief that Abiola died from poisoning on July 7, 1998, asserting that an autopsy conducted by forensic pathologists from Nigeria, the United States, Britain, and Canada concluded his death was due to natural causes, specifically pre-existing hypertension and heart disease.

In separate interviews conducted on Tuesday by The PUNCH, both Nyiam and Opadokun dismissed Abdulsalami's account as inaccurate. Nyiam, a key figure in NADECO’s international operations, stated he was unaware of any recognized coalition leader who demanded an extension of military rule. He emphasized that NADECO’s core objective was to end military dictatorship, not to extend it. Nyiam questioned which NADECO General Abdulsalami was referencing, noting that Chief Anthony Enahoro, the coalition's leader, consistently demanded due process, including a people’s constitution to foster genuine democracy, rather than the military-imposed 1999 Constitution.

Nyiam recounted that Abdulsalami dispatched an associate, Olowu, to meet NADECO leaders in exile, including current President Bola Tinubu, who was then in London. He confirmed that Tinubu gathered key NADECO figures from across Europe for this meeting, where the coalition unanimously advocated for a credible democratic transition, explicitly rejecting any extension of military rule. Nyiam stated, “When Gen Abdulsalami sent an emissary, Olowu, to meet with us, Tinubu invited all the key NADECO people. I travelled from Edinburgh to London for that meeting.” He added, “The man sought our opinion, and what all of us insisted on was that the handover should be properly done to create a system that would bring in democracy. There was nobody, to my knowledge, whether Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Chief Anthony Enahoro or any other person from NADECO abroad, who ever asked him to extend military rule. Who would have done that when what we were all fighting for was to end military rule?” Nyiam suggested that Abdulsalami was either misinformed or “being economical with the truth.”

He reiterated that NADECO's demand was for a process that would first yield a people’s constitution through a national conference, achievable within months. Nyiam expressed shock at Abdulsalami's claims, affirming that no known NADECO leader from chapters in the UK, US, or Canada, all led by Chief Anthony Enahoro, made such a request. He identified Enahoro, Akinrinade, and Tinubu (who largely financed NADECO abroad) as principal figures, also mentioning Dr Kayode Fayemi and Prof Wole Soyinka (leader of the National Liberation Council of Nigeria) as individuals who could corroborate his statements.

Nyiam also challenged Abdulsalami’s narrative regarding Abiola’s death, saying, “I am surprised by his claim that nobody did anything bad to Chief MKO Abiola. From all the evidence we have heard, I doubt his position, with all respect to my senior. Chief MKO Abiola was done away with by those who did not want him to govern.” He further urged the former Head of State to identify those who allegedly betrayed Abiola during the struggle, stating, “It is not true that any worthwhile leader of NADECO requested the General to extend his stay. It is also not true, in my opinion, that his account of Chief MKO Abiola’s death tells the full story.”

Chief Ayo Opadokun, who served as NADECO’s General Secretary, also weighed in, suggesting that Abdulsalami might have misinterpreted discussions between his representatives and NADECO leaders in exile. Opadokun clarified that NADECO abroad had called for Abdulsalami to establish a program for stability by ensuring a people’s constitution was in place before any elections. He explained that the coalition advocated for a government of national unity to be led by Chief MKO Abiola, not an extension of military rule, a position he documented in “The NADECO Story.” Opadokun confirmed receiving reports from former NADECO members abroad indicating that Abdulsalami seemed to have misconstrued their discussions as a request for military rule extension, which he stated was incorrect.