“He was ready to go against anyone, including himself”—ex-chief security officer reveals how Abdulsalami shut down military plan to extend tenure

The chairman of the organising committee, Maj. Gen. Abdul Aliyu (retd), has revealed how former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar decisively shut down growing pressure within the military to extend his six-month transition programme, telling his then chief security officer, ‘”It is my duty and my task to make decisions on behalf of the country and what is good for the country and for the people. I’ve made my decision. That’s what I will do.”

Aliyu, speaking in his welcome address at the public presentation of three books honouring General Abdulsalami on the eve of his 84th birthday, described the retired general as a leader who was “ready to go to any extent, including against himself”, to ensure a peaceful transition to civilian rule.

The three books launched at the event were Call of Duty: An Autobiography of Gen. Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar; Nigeria’s Grand Patriot: Gen. Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar; and Mediating for Peace in Africa: A Festschrift in Honour of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Aliyu recounted an encounter he had with General Abdulsalami when he served as his chief security officer after the retired general took over as president of Nigeria in 1998.

“When he rolled out his six-month transition programme, our participants in the military were divided into three groups,” he said.

“One group believed that, yes, this time they have accepted as proposed. Another group felt that it was okay, but can we have an extension of five to six months? The third group felt the civilians are not ready to take over the country.”

Aliyu said he approached General Abdulsalami with the concern.

“Sir, those are the institutions for me extending six months so that we can have a small group by our side,” he said. “He looked at me and said, ‘I’m going to see.’”