By Kolawole Ojebisi
A former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has revealed how he pleaded with the late Gen. Sani Abacha not to execute former President Olusegun Obasanjo when the latter was incarcerated for an alleged coup plot in 1995.
Gowon said this at the maiden edition of the Interdenominational Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival organised by the Plateau Government.
While Gowon was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, Obasanjo was the Guest of Honour. “I wrote a letter to Abacha; I pleaded with him that God made him a leader to do good and not evil.
“I sent my wife with the letter in the middle of the night to Abacha in Abuja; I pleaded with him that such a thing should not happen.
“I’m glad that soon after that, things changed. And not only that Obasanjo left prison, he became our president in 1999.
“This is something that only prayers and sincerity can do. I’m happy that today myself and Obasanjo are here to celebrate the unity of Plateau,” he said.
Recall that Obasanjo was arrested in 1995 by Abacha and convicted of being part of an alleged planned coup to overthrow his government.
Obasanjo, in spite of pleading innocent to the coup, was sentenced to death.
He spent three years in prison before he was released in 1998 following the death of Gen. Abacha on June 8 of that year.
Obasanjo would later join the political fray when the country returned to civilian rule after sixteen years of military interregnum.
He contested the presidential seat of Nigeria on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and won.
Gowon also thanked the state government for organising the carol, adding that it would further unite the citizens of the state.
The former head of state said that the state had gone through a myriad of security challenges; hence, the carol provided a suitable avenue for the people to commune.
He commended Governor Caleb Mutfwang for the various initiatives aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence among the people.
