Former Military President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has claimed his comrade at arms, late General Sani Abacha, plotted to violently overthrow his administration, despite their deep relationship.

He also said Abacha had deep-seated hatred for the claimed winner of the annulled June 12 election, Chief M.K.O Abiola, whom he said would have been eliminated by the Abacha-led “forces”.

Babangida made these revelations in his autobiography “A Journey in Service” presented to the public on Thursday in Abuja.

The former maximum leader said in the book that Abacha was one of his biggest headaches during his unending transition programme to civil rule.

Admitting Abacha once saved his life and risked his life to ensure that he (Babangida) took over in 1985, the warlord of Minna Hilltop mansion described the Kano-born general as a complex character, whose intention cannot be easily understood.

Babangida on pages 278 and 279 of the book painted the relationship that existed between and his comrade at arms while he was in the military.

He wrote: “Without question, one of my biggest headaches at this time was Sani Abacha. I knew that Abacha was ambivalent about a return to civil rule. But I thought, in retrospect now, naively, that he would support our transition to civil rule programme.

“As I said earlier, Abacha and I had come a long way. We were good friends, and he had indeed been nice to me. As I have said elsewhere, he saved my life once and also risked his life to ensure that I took over in 1985. I could never forget those details.

“But it’s also correct that he was a complex character. He was capable of bottling up a lot inside without giving a hint of where he was. And then, suddenly, the bottle bursts, and we begin to see a different person.”

He further said: “I obviously didn’t know everything about him! For instance, I was alarmed to discover that he and a handful of others mobilised negative opinions against me within the military, portraying me as the problem. That campaign was geared towards a violent military coup to remove me as President forcefully.

“But even more bizarre for me was my discovery of the loathing that Abacha had for the person of Abiola, whom I thought had a good relationship with him.”

Babangida on page 275 of his book alluded that the annulment of the June 12 election was masterminded and hatched by “forces” led by Abacha.

He further said on page 278 of the book that the same Abacha “forces” would have eliminated Abiola if he had allowed him to become the President.

Shedding light on Abacha’s disdain for the acclaimed winner of June 12 election, Babangida wrote: “Unfortunately, the forces gathered against him (Abiola) after the June 12 elections were so formidable that I was convinced that if he became President, he would be quickly eliminated by the same very forces who pretended to be his friends.

“While I accept that the unfortunate denial of his mandate amounted to a subversion of the will of the Nigerian people, I was petrified that if Abiola got killed, it could lead to a civil war. Having participated in one civil war, with all its horrors, pains and devastation, I wasn’t prepared to see another.” (The Nation)