Former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, has disclosed that some leaders of the pro-democracy movement, including members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), privately urged him to extend military rule after becoming convinced that he was genuinely committed to handing over power in 1999.
Abubakar said the request came only months into his administration when key figures in the pro-democracy struggle realised that his transition timetable was not a political bluff but a firm commitment to return Nigeria to civilian rule.
He made the revelation in his autobiography unveiled on Saturday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as part of activities marking his 84th birthday.
According to him, the same coalition that had fiercely opposed military rule under the late General Sani Abacha later began to worry that it had not fully organised itself politically ahead of the transition.
“Two To Three Months Into My Administration, Some Nadeco Members Realised That I Was Sincere About The Handover Date,” Abubakar Was Quoted As Saying. “They Felt They Had Missed The Train And Wanted More Time To Organise Themselves Politically. They Came To Me As A Group And Requested That The Transition Programme Be Extended.”
The former military ruler said he immediately rejected the request, insisting that his administration had already made binding commitments to Nigerians and the international community to restore democratic governance within a fixed timetable.
He added that he challenged the group to make their request public if they were truly serious about it, but they declined.
“I Told Them That If They Wrote To Me And Publicly Announced That They Had Requested An Extension, I Would Grant It. But They Never Did. I Knew They Would Not,” He Said.
Abubakar further revealed that pressure to prolong military rule also came from some foreign actors who believed his government had stabilised the country after the death of Abacha and the easing of political tensions.
However, he maintained that staying longer in office was never an option, arguing that Nigeria had reached a point where military rule had become unsustainable.
He also said prolonged military involvement in governance had weakened the armed forces by drawing senior officers into political administration at the expense of professionalism and discipline.
“The Military Needed To Relinquish Power. The Military Was The Greatest Loser In The Whole Enterprise Because Most Of Our Best Brains Were Deployed To Administer The Country While The Profession Was Neglected,” He Said.
Reflecting on the transition process that culminated in the birth of the Fourth Republic on May 29, 1999, Abubakar said his administration remained committed despite internal resistance from some military officers and political uncertainties at the time.
He added that the sincerity of the transition programme ultimately ensured a peaceful transfer of power to civilian rule.
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