A former Chief of Army Staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi who was arrested by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government and
locked up for 8 years has made shocking revelation how an ex-convict emerged as a head of state.
Abdulsalami Abubakar emerged the military Head of state even though he was an ex-
convict A former Chief of Army Staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi, has revealed in details how the then Chief
of Defence Staff, Abdulsalami Abubakar succeeded late military head of state, Sani Abacha, who died in the early hours of June
8, 1998 even though he was an ex-convict.
Mr Bamaiyi, a retired lieutenant general, gave the account in his book, “Vindication of a General” which was launched last
Thursday in Abuja.
While recounting the story in his book, Bamaiyi revealed that Abdussalam Abubakar was found guilty by a court martial in the
1970s.
Explaining how the decision for Abacha’s replacement was reached, Bamaiyi said that
after Mr. Abacha’s burial in Kano on that fateful day, the most senior military officers returned to the Council Chambers of the
Presidential Villa, where they met to decide who would head the government.
He said though he was not interested in the position, the choice of successor to Mr
Abacha was narrowed to the then Chief of Defence Staff, Abdulsalami Abubakar; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Jeremiah Useni; and himself.
“We returned from Kano and went into the Chambers to decide who would become the Commander in Chief. While in Kano, some
senior officers had decided that the COAS (Bamaiyi) would take over the government,”
Mr. Bamaiyi said in the 252-page book.
“I had never been interested in any political office, had avoided them so far, and had no
intention of taking up the position of Commander in Chief. I made this clear to the senior officers who insisted I should take
over, including Generals SVL Malu, Magashi, and Aziza. (But) I was aware that some junior officers were against my taking over
as Commander in Chief because they knew I would not tolerate them in service,” Bamaiyi
wrote.
The former army chief said despite his lack of interest, the problem he had with Mr. Abubakar (who eventually emerged as head
of state and commander in chief) was that of convincing the senior officers to accept him (Abubakar) because he had been convicted by a court martial sometime between 1970 and 1972 “for tampering with soldiers’ salaries.”
He said rather than serving two years imprisonment, being dismissed or demoted
having been found guilty by the court martial presided by the late Colonel Nenger, Mr. Abubakar’s former classmates at the
Provincial Secondary School, Bida, at the Army headquarters “worked it out and reduced the sentence to a reprimand.”
Mr. Bamaiyi said soon after the meeting commenced, Mr. Abubakar started distributing papers as if the choice of the
next head of state would be by an election.
He said: “Officers were not prepared to accept an officer with a record of conviction
as a head of State. The issue of succession now fell to me, and some of the commanding officers and the staff told me I had to take charge to save the situation. I
told them I believed in Abubakar and we should support him.
“While this was going on, some junior officers were campaigning against Useni and me. They believed that once I took over,
they would be in trouble, but I never had any intention of taking any political post. I had joined the army not for politics.
“When I told the senior officers I would (not) take over as Commander in Chief, the
officers close to me said I was going to regret my action. I did not believe them because General Abubakar and I had been
very close since we had been Lieutenants and played hockey for 2 Mech. Div. with Generals Shehu Yar’Adua, and Useni”.
Bamaiyi continued: “As soon as we got into the chambers, Abubakar started distributing
papers as if there were going to be an election. Meanwhile, people were there with Bibles and Qurans because they did not
know who the Commander in Chief was going to be”.
“It took a lot of persuasion to get the officers to accept Gen. Abubakar. This was why during the swearing in of the Commander in Chief, the Quran and the Bible were brought into the chambers unknown
to many officers and the PRC members.”
The former Army chief explained that after the discussion, no decision was reached
because papers were passed around for officers to nominate a Commander in Chief.
“When it was my turn, I got up and announced we had all agreed that Gen.
Abubakar was to be the Commander in Chief and had been promoted to a four-star
general. Abubakar was sitting next me. That was how we succeeded in making Gen.
Abubakar the Commander in Chief in spite of his record of conviction,” he wrote.
