Former president Olusegun Obasanjo says Nigeria is back to the Abacha era when state institutions were used to fight perceived enemies of the head of state.
He was speaking on Sunday in his state of the nation address which he tagged “Points for Concern and Action”.
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Abacha, a general, was the military head of state from November 1993
till his death in June 1998 and was accused of using dictatorial powers
to rule the country.
TheCable understands that Obasanjo decided
to address the nation following recent developments in the polity,
including the trial of the chief justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen,
over an alleged false declaration of assets.
Obasanjo said:
“Today, another Abacha Era is here. The security institutions are being
misused to fight all critics and opponents of Buhari and to derail our
fledgling democracy. EFCC, Police and Code of Conduct Tribunal are also
being equally misused to deal with those Buhari sees as enemies for
criticising him or as those who may not do his bidding in manipulating
election results. Criticism, choice and being different are inherent
trade mark of democracy. If democracy is derailed or aborted, anarchy
and authoritarianism will automatically follow.
“Today, as in the
day of Abacha, Nigerians must rise up and do what they did in the time
of Abacha. Churches and Mosques prayed. International community stood by
us Nigerians. I was a beneficiary and my life was saved. Well-meaning
Nigerians took appropriate actions and made sacrifices, some supreme,
some less than supreme but God had the final say and He took the
ultimate action.”
Obasanjo was jailed for life by Abacha on 1995
over an alleged coup plot, but he was released in 1998 after the death
of the military ruler.
He was then twice elected president of
Nigeria, from 1999 to 2007, having been a military head of state himself
from 1976 to 1979.
More to follow…
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