Prominent leaders of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Colonel Tony Nyiam(rtd) and Chief Ayo Opadokun, have strongly disputed claims by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd.), that members of the pro-democracy movement urged him to prolong military rule after he assumed office in 1998.
The NADECO chieftains also challenged Abdulsalami’s assertion that the late Chief MKO Abiola, widely regarded as the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, was not poisoned before his death.
In his recently released autobiography, Call of Duty, Abdulsalami stated that some NADECO leaders privately requested an extension of the military transition programme following his emergence as Head of State.
NADECO, the Campaign for Democracy( CD), the National Liberation Council of Nigeria( NALICON), led by Prof. Wole Soyinka, and Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba cultural group, were the arrowheads of the local opposition to military rule after the still controversial annulment of the poll.
Reacting to the Abubakkar claim, Nyiam said he was unaware of any recognised leader of the coalition who made such a request.
He insisted that NADECO’s primary objective was to end military rule and restore democratic governance.
According to him, the coalition, under the leadership of the late Chief Anthony Enahoro, consistently advocated a prompt return to civilian rule and the establishment of a democratic framework rooted in the will of the people.
Nyiam recalled that Abdulsalami had sent emissaries to engage NADECO leaders in exile, including President Bola Tinubu, who was based in London at the time. However, he maintained that none of the prominent figures within the movement ever called for an extension of military rule.
He argued that such a request would have contradicted the very struggle NADECO was championing, which was aimed at ending military governance in NigeriaNyiam was not alone in holding this view.
Supporting Nyiam’s position, former NADECO General Secretary, Chief Ayo Opadokun, said Abdulsalami might have misunderstood the discussions held with coalition members abroad.
According to Opadokun, what NADECO advocated was the development of a people-oriented constitution that would provide a stable foundation for democratic governance before elections were conducted.
He explained that the coalition’s proposal centred on a government of national unity led by Chief MKO Abiola rather than any extension of military rule.
Nyiam also questioned Abdulsalami’s account of the circumstances surrounding Abiola’s death, expressing doubt over the former military ruler’s assertion that no foul play was involved.
He stated that available accounts and evidence over the years had continued to raise questions about the circumstances leading to Abiola’s death, maintaining that many Nigerians remained unconvinced by official explanations.
According to Nyiam, there is a widely held belief among pro-democracy activists that forces opposed to Abiola’s presidency played a role in preventing him from assuming office, a view he said could not be easily dismissed.
