A high-ranking member of the Nigerian Army during the military years, General Ishola Williams (rtd), has said that contrary to the disclosure in a recently released book by former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida: “A Journey in Service,” he had actually prepared the late General Sani Abacha to take over before his annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
The former Chief of Defence Training and Planning said this on a Channels Television programme: “Inside Sources with Laolu Akande.”
Williams was one of those mentioned in Babangida’s 420-page memoir that was launched in Abuja on February 20, 2025.
In his memoir, which has now attracted a cocktail of knocks and kudos, Babangida, popularly known as IBB, admitted for the first time that the late philanthropist and democracy hero. Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Whilst IBB took responsibility for the annulment, he blamed Abacha for canceling the poll without his authority.
- Kidnapped ex-NYSC DG regains freedom after 22 days
- Ramadan: Katsina Hisbah Board orders closure of private schools
- 60 burnt to death in Kwara accident
- June 12: Babangida prepared Abacha to take over before annulment – Gen. Ishola
- Lagos will collaborate with NCC to strengthen digital economy — Sanwo-Olu
On page 296 of the book, whilst he described the ripple of reactions that trailed the annulment of the election adjudged the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s history, Babangida said: “Within the military leadership, there was palpable outrage. The best of us, like Lt-General Salihu Ibrahim and Major-General Ishola Williams, were alarmed, and Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar threatened to resign.”
To provide perspectives into what transpired, General Williams took a trip down memory lane on the socio-political programme on Channels TV.
According to him, Babangida had prepared Abacha to succeed him before he annulled the election.
He also said the transition government headed by the late businessman, Ernest Sonekan, was just a ruse, adding that he resigned after the annulment of the election.
Williams said he attended a meeting of generals with Babangida and Abacha in attendance, where the plan was hatched.
He said: “General Babangida forgot to mention that he used to call General Abacha the Khalifa, which meant that one way or the other, he was encouraging General Abacha to succeed him.
“And to a certain extent, in my conversation with General Babangida, just before he stepped aside, one midnight in Minna, he could not answer a question that I asked him: ‘Did you have a blood oath with Abacha that he would succeed you?’
“I asked him that question but he refused to answer.
“In Minna, one-on-one, at the Presidential Guest House in Minna.
“Before that, there was a group of civilian governors in his regime that came to visit him and encouraged him not to hand over.
“It was when they left that I asked him the question and told him not to mind the governors, that the best thing is for him to leave.”
General Williams said he wrote a letter to General Babangida in August 1993 to the effect that the best thing for the military to do was to hand over to civilians.
He said: “I told him that we were preparing to receive him in Minna with full military honours after he stepped aside.
“And I did that.
“I was a Commander in Minna at that time.
“He came to Minna with his wife.
“Many officers came with him.
“These officers knew that he had stepped aside but put pressure on him to appoint a new CDS (Chief of Defence Staff) and Service Chiefs.
“He appointed new Service Chiefs and when those ones came to tell me, I said you are not going to last very long.
“Shortly after that, General Abacha flew in, met with General Babangida in his house and when he came out, he changed all of them (Service Chiefs).
“There was a meeting before the interim government, where officers from Brigadier General and above of the Armed Forces met in the Villa.
“The late Attorney General (Clement) Akpamgbo was the only civilian at the meeting.
“When the discussion started about June 12, I was alarmed and I said: ‘What are we discussing? I thought we came here to discuss the handover process?’
“General Abacha was sitting to my right and in between us was General Diya.
“General Abacha said: ‘Ishola don’t talk like that,’ but I said we should be discussing handing over, not annulment.
“On what basis will the election be annulled?
“But nobody answered me.
“It was only General Ikonne who supported me.
“By that time, the election had not been annulled yet, but the election had taken place.”
Williams said a decree for a transition period was designed at the meeting by Babangida.
He added: “I said we don’t need the transitional government, but it was ruled out.
“The whole decree was planned in such a way so that Abacha could take over.”
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
