My Husband Knows Nothing About June 12 Annulment - Late Abacha's Wife

Former First Lady Maryam Abacha has absolved her late husband, General Sani Abacha from the controversial annulment of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Poll.

Abacha was Chief of Army Staff in the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, whose tenure the presidential election won by Late Chief Moshood Abiola was cancelled.

Babangida left office hastily on August 27, 1993 following pressures on him locally and international over the annulment of Abiola’s victory.

Mrs Abacha, who stated this while speaking on a television programme in commemoration of the 27th anniversary of Abacha’s death, said her late husband did not annul the poll as being speculated in some quartres.

She explained that Nigeria had a military president who made such decisions and not her husband who was just a member of the military regime.

 “All I know is that the annulment was not done by my husband"

“If it was him, that means he was very powerful, even more powerful than the president. If the president was there and somebody else is calling the shots, that means Abacha was the greatest” she said.

Recall Late General Abacha was part of three successive military administrations. On December 31, 1983, he announced the coup that sacked the second republic and the installation of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as head of state on January 1, 1984.