I Knew Abacha Would Sack Shonekan Govt- IBB tells OBJ!

I Knew Abacha Would Sack Shonekan Govt- IBB tells OBJ!
 ..."It was a mischief"- IBB tells Obasanjo.

Former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida said he deliberate left General Sani Abacha behind as the most senior military officer in the Shonekan' illegal contraption called Interim National Government (ING) for mischievous reasons  despite the fact that he knew he would sack his successor.

Babangida was forced to step-aside from power as Head of state in the wake of the political stalemate after he and his colleagues in the khaki annulled the 12 June, 1993 Presidential poll won by the late business mogul, Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Abiola.

Nigeria was thrown into a political turmoil as a result of the annulment and as a result, Babangida was forced to quit power unceremoniously but not until he had foisted the ING led by one of his cronies, Chief Ernest Shonekan with a mandate to conduct a fresh poll.

Although IBB who was nicknamed Maradona, after the Argentine footballer, Diego Maradona by former Ogun state governor, the late Bisi Onabanjo has been telling those who care to listen to him that he left Abacha behind in order to protect the government, but if what he told former President, Olusegun Obasanjo is anything to go by, Babangida had a hidden agenda in doing so.

In his narrative in his newest controversial book, MY WATCH, Obasanjo accused Babangida of toying with he survival of Nigeria by leaving his co-traveller in coup making, Abacha, behind. He also revealed that the real intention of IBB was to stage a comeback through his popular boys whom he had put in strategic positions before stepping aside.

"Most of Babangida's boys were used in the coup that ousted President (Shehu) Shagari . They were adequately compensated in appropriate military and political appointments, and they were still available to do Babangida's bidding at any time. Obviously, one such boy was Abacha; he was not picked for his brightness or military performance, but for his utilitarian value to Babangida. Having been used to announce the coup, he had secured for himself a payback in the form of an appropriate appointment an access to funds to go with the appointment. it was as part of the payback that Babangida left Abacha behind in the military when he was 'stepping aside.' When I later asked Babangida if he never thought that Abacha would carry out a coup, he replied. 'I knew he would carry out a coup, but I believed that he would not last six months.' I went on to say that he had done a great disservice to Nigeria, because Abacha survived for five years and he nearly perpetuated his stay in office for life while running Nigeria almost to the ground. Babangida's reaction left me more horrified when he said, 'It was a mischief.' My final reaction was a rhetorical question, 'How can you do such great mischief with your country?' After that horrifying exchange, I came to the conclusion that Babangida did not really anticipate that Abacha could carry out a coup and was just covering up for his poor judgment. Alternatively, he may have known, as he claimed, but set the stage for his own return within the shortest time possible, thinking that Abacha would soon carry out a coup and the Babangida boys left in strategic military positions would strike  against Abacha- or even Shonekan, if his boys could strike before Abacha's coup- and bring him back. Babangida's words and actions before and after he relunctantly left office would suggest a set-up for a return.
"In the end, Abacha struck and lost no time in removing and dislocating Babangida's boys, to render them unable to strike against him. Abacha consolidated his grip on the military and dealt ruthlessly  with any groups or individuals who opposed him in any way".