₦airaland Forum

I pleaded with Abacha not to execute Obasanjo – Gowon

Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon says he pleaded with late Gen. Sani Abacha not to execute former President Olusegun Obasanjo for 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.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Obasanjo was arrested in 1995 by General Sani Abacha and convicted of being part of a 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.

While Gowon was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, Obasanjo was the Guest of Honour, respectively.

“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.

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.

kedeojo:
He can't ask for the release of a fugitive who is actions has murdered alot of people and destroyed properties. Obasanjo was clean about the coup and that was the reason, after prison, he became the president of Nigeria. Nmandi kanu has a lot of blood on his hand. If you are alright, you can't compare the two.

Nkupu:
Obj remains a nationalist. Unlike what we have now.

Eboofa:
God kept Obasanjo and Gowon alive for a purpose! Both are decent men......both would have been even better leaders if not for fulani hawks who never allowed them to breathe! Forget the civil war o...these were good men. As for buhari, murtala and Tinubu........let me reserve my comments!

rexchazy:
Abacha with all his high handedness and wickedness never thought he could dead carelessly. This life is simple, live and let others live