Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has disclosed that his late political mentor, Shehu Musa Yar’adua, instructed him to step down for Chief MKO Abiola during the 1993 Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential primaries.
Atiku shared this revelation during an interview with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie of Untold Stories.
“I think there have been some misinterpretation or misrepresentation of what actually happened, even though I had in the past addressed the circumstances surrounding that incident,” he said.
“So I told him, ‘Look, if you don’t come to Jos, there is every likelihood that Kingibe is going to be elected, and I know you don’t want it. So you better come to Jos, no matter how late.’
“And he drove all the way from Kaduna to Jos. By the time he came to Jos, it was about three or four a.m. And he called for a meeting in Kwande’s house. I do not know what he discussed with the late MKO Abiola.
“I was not privy to the meeting, and he did not tell me. But when we got to the meeting in Ambassador Kwande’s house, all he told me was that, ‘Turaki.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He said, ‘Step down for MKO Abiola.’ I said, ‘Okay, sir. I have stepped down.”
Key Details:
- Yar’adua’s Directive: Atiku recounted that Yar’adua summoned him to a meeting in Jos and instructed him to withdraw from the race to support Abiola. Atiku complied, stepping down to pave the way for Abiola’s candidacy.
- SDP Primaries: The primaries were highly competitive, with Abiola, Babagana Kingibe, and Atiku as the leading contenders. Abiola eventually emerged as the winner and went on to select Kingibe as his running mate.
- Governors’ Influence: Atiku revealed that governors within the SDP threatened to withdraw their support if Abiola chose him as his running mate instead of Kingibe.
- Historical Context: The 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as free and fair, was annulled by the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. In February 2025, Babangida expressed regret over the annulment, describing the election as credible.
This revelation sheds light on the political dynamics of the 1993 election and Atiku’s role in shaping its outcome.
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