- ‘Weakling’ — Gumsu Abacha posts cryptic message as IBB blames dad for June 12 annulment
Sadiq Abacha, son of Nigeria’s former military ruler, the late General Sani Abacha, has defended his father’s legacy, asserting that his leadership remains significant despite ongoing criticism.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Sadiq suggested that his father was a victim of envy and subtle betrayal but expressed confidence that history would eventually judge him favourably.
Likewise, his sister Gumsu shared a cryptic post on X, seemingly responding to former military president Ibrahim Babangida’s claims about her father’s role in the annulment of the June 12 presidential election.
In a one-word post on her X handle on Friday, Gumsu wrote: “Weakling.”
Sadiq’s defence follows the release of former military President Ibrahim Babangida’s memoir which has reignited debates about Nigeria’s political history.
A significant revelation in the book involves the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election which Babangida admitted was won by Moshood Abiola.
Babangida claimed that the annulment was influenced by forces within his administration allegedly led by Abacha without his full awareness.
Defending his father, Sadiq wrote: “The man Abacha—you have always been the one they envied with silent deceit. History shall remember you for being a better leader, no matter how much they try to put you down.”
He noted that he was very proud of his father, adding that Abacha’s critics wished they were him.
“As a son, I am most proud of you today. You indeed are the man they wish they were half of,” he wrote.
Sadiq concluded with a Hausa proverb, “Duk wanda yayi jifa a kasuwa,” meaning, “Whoever throws a stone in the market…”—a reminder that every action carries consequences.
Gumsu Abacah made her post amid the ongoing conversations on the book, ‘A Journey in Service,’ the autobiography of Babangida, launched in Abuja on Thursday.
In the 420-page memoir, Babangida addressed issues about the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was won by the late MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Babangida described the annulment of the election as an “accident of history” that is “most regrettable”.
The former military president, who oversaw the annulled election, said he was in Katsina when the cancellation of the election was announced by the press secretary of his second-in-command without his knowledge or permission.
Babangida said he later discovered that the forces against the June 12 election were led by Abacha, his then chief of defence staff, who later became military head of state.
The former military leader said after several brainstorming sessions with various groups, he had contacted Abiola and offered him an interim position.
Babangida hinted that Abiola was hobnobbing with Abacha while being deceived that the election would be revalidated once he was overthrown.
In the wake of the protests that trailed the annulment of the election, Babangida stepped down as president in August 1993 and installed an interim government, led by Ernest Shonekan, which Abacha would remove from power in November 1993.
Abacha later clamped Abiola into detention for declaring himself president.
Some individuals have argued that Babangida painted the late Abacha as the villain in the annulment of the June 12 election.
Gumsu had also reposted some of the sentiments suggesting that Babangida knew that Abacha could no longer defend himself.
