Reasons Why I Allowed Abacha To Arrest Me – Obasanjo

Olusegun Obasanjo

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has revealed the reasons why he allowed himself to be arrested and jailed by former military head of state, General Sanni AbachaRecall that the former president was among top politicians who openly stood against the administration of the late military head of state. General Sanni Abacha had however ordered their arrest, trials and sentences of these people but spared their lives due to international pressure.

According to Leadership, Obasanjo in his newest controversial memoir, ‘My Watch’, narrated how a group, National Unity Organisation was formed. It came into existence to frustrate Abacha to leave power. Obasanjo said Abacha “was so much below average as an officer that no serious attention was paid to him until he was made to announce the coup”.
“I was not in doubt that Abacha would attempt to silence me. This was clear from his apparent ambition for life presidency of Nigeria in insatiable appetite for corruption; his looting directly from the Central Bank; his need to silence everyone that could oppose him in any form; his actions towards my close friends and associates and his close surveillance of me by his security both within and outside Nigeria.”
Also recalling how during his visit to Kenya for the funeral of the father of the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, the Nigerian Embassy officials wrote a report indicting him, stating that “since Odinga was in opposition to the government of Kenya when he died, I had gone to Kenya to create problems for the Kenyan government by supporting the opposition, and the Nigerian government should restrain me from causing great problems between Nigeria and Kenya.”
“Rumours about Abacha taking action against me started to spread and ring louder and louder. ”I had no fear because I had done nothing to cause me fear or anxiety. I was about my life and my business unperturbed.”
Recall that business mogul and politician, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, popularly known as MKO, who was part of the opposition party died amidst the brouhaha. Just recently, MKO Abiola’s daughter,  Hafsat Abiola-Costello,  said that her father sacrificed all for the nation at the expense of the suffering of his family.