Late Sani Abacha

Maryam Abacha, the widow of Nigeria’s former military ruler, General Sani Abacha, has again rejected longstanding accusations that her late husband looted the country’s treasury during his time in power from 1993 to 1998.

Speaking in an interview broadcast on TVC on Sunday, marking 27 years since the former Head of State died in office on June 8, 1998, Mrs. Abacha insisted that allegations of financial misconduct against her husband were false and politically motivated.

She argued that much of what has been said over the years was misrepresentation.

“Who is the witness of the monies that were being stashed? Did you see the signature or the evidence of any monies stashed abroad? And the monies that my husband kept for Nigeria, in a few months, the monies vanished,” she said.

Despite her denial, successive Nigerian administrations have recovered large sums of money, commonly referred to as the “Abacha loot”, from various foreign accounts linked to the late general.

These funds, repatriated from countries including Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom, have been used for public welfare and development projects.

Still, Mrs. Abacha questioned the basis of such claims and called for tangible proof.

“People are not talking about that. Why are you blaming somebody for something? Is that tribalism or a religious problem? Or what is the problem with Nigerians? I pray for Nigerians. I pray for all of us.”

Appealing for national unity and fairness, she also criticized how people and the media handle such sensitive issues.

“I pray that we should have goodness in our hearts. We should stop telling lies and blaming people. Why are we so bad towards each other? Because somebody is a Northerner or a Southerner, somebody is a Muslim or a Christian, or somebody is nice,” she said.

“It’s not fair. I think the press should try. You, the press, should try to educate the people. You are here to educate the people, to inform the people, and to entertain. You are here to help the country. You are not here to bastardise people,” she added.

Dr. Tanko Yakasai, Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), has downplayed the efforts of a political coalition spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja over the weekend, Yakasai asserted that the coalition was bound to fail, likening its prospects to a “pack of cards.”

Simultaneously, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been mobilizing support among Nigerians in the Diaspora, ahead of formally launching a broader opposition alliance to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Yakasai dismissed growing concerns over Nigeria potentially turning into a one-party state, citing the ongoing wave of defections to the APC.

According to him, party-switching is a normal part of the political process, as the APC itself has lost members to rival parties in the past.

He emphasized that Nigerians would not place their trust in a coalition led by Atiku, asserting that those in the alliance had mismanaged the country in previous administrations.

“You can remember that it was in this country that $16 billion meant for power infrastructure went missing; it was in this country that we had the Halliburton scandal for which an American senator was jailed, but collaborators in Nigeria have not faced the law,” he stated.

“So, APC has come to correct these things done by PDP. Most of them, who held sway since 1999, and I know them well, performed badly.”

“Now that Tinubu has come to rectify their misgovernance, instead of supporting him, they are forming a coalition to take power again after they had been driven out by Nigerians,” Yakasai added.

Highlighting what he described as significant achievements of President Tinubu since taking office in 2023, Yakasai pointed to the removal of fuel subsidy and reforms in the foreign exchange market, which he said disrupted corrupt round-tripping practices by well-connected individuals accessing Central Bank of Nigeria resources.

On the opposition side, the ADC revealed it would hold a conference aimed at rallying support from the Diaspora for the 2027 elections.

The national chairman of ADC, Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, while speaking in Abuja, said the event is part of a broader initiative to form a viable coalition for national transformation.

Nwosu noted the conference, titled “Imperative of Diaspora Leadership in Building the Coalition for Change and National Transformation in Nigeria and Africa,” will bring together politicians and technocrats to demonstrate that the coalition enjoys broad-based support.

“Nigerians, including most Diasporas, are determined to make their contribution to ensure our country’s rejuvenation and the continent’s renaissance,” he stated.

Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, has expressed strong reservations over the recent endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term by 22 governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Ndume, a senior APC figure and six-term lawmaker, distanced himself from the move and cited historical precedence as a warning sign.

“I pity Mr President,” Ndume said. “Jonathan had 22 governors then endorsing him like was done now. And what happened? Jonathan lost woefully.”

“A lot of money was spent. Even the election was shifted but we are not learning our lessons.”

The senator was referring to the 2015 general election in which former President Goodluck Jonathan, despite the backing of 22 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, lost his re-election bid to Muhammadu Buhari of the APC.

“I hope that he would look back historically and see that the gathering of people to endorse you does not mean anything,” Ndume added.

On May 22, 2025, all 22 APC governors unanimously adopted Tinubu as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

But Ndume strongly opposed the move, citing the worsening state of the nation.

“Things are very bad in the country,” he said. “Nigerians cannot see any hope, they are doubting the Renewed Hope.”

He explained that he was present at the Presidential Villa’s Banquet Hall on the day of the endorsement but walked out in protest once he realised the nature of the gathering.

“I was there but that was not why I was there; I was there for a summit and when I realised that it was not a summit and voice vote was put about the endorsement of Mr President, I just left, and that does not mean I am not an APC member. The majority had its way but few of us felt that was not right,” Ndume explained.

Reflecting on the limitations of political endorsements, he said.

“It happened before, not once, not twice. It happened during Jonathan. That does not mean anything. Politicians are decamping but the people who are the voters are not decamping.”

Ndume’s comments come amid growing public concern over rising inflation, widespread insecurity, and economic hardship across Nigeria.

The senator has served in the National Assembly since 2003.

He represented Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency in Borno State for two terms in the House of Representatives before moving to the Senate in 2011, where he has retained his seat representing Borno South to date.

President Bola Tinubu has declared that he has reconciled with Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, putting an end to any lingering tension between them.

Speaking during a closed-door session with members of the Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) on Saturday, Tinubu stated, “It’s all over now. All is forgiven.”

The president’s remarks came after GAC members met with him in Lagos to mediate and appeal on behalf of Sanwo-Olu and others believed to have fallen out of his favour.

Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi, Chairman of the GAC, welcomed the president and acknowledged the strained relationship.

He confirmed that Tinubu had been displeased with certain individuals in Lagos, especially the governor, and formally appealed for reconciliation.

Sources at the meeting revealed that Tinubu assured the delegation that he bore no ill will, with specific reference to Governor Sanwo-Olu.

The atmosphere reportedly shifted to one of healing and unity.

In a traditional gesture of humility and remorse, the governor and several members of the GAC were said to have prostrated before the president.

While the exact reasons behind the rift were not discussed in detail during the meeting, the central theme remained forgiveness and moving forward.

On this day, June 8, 1998, Nigeria awoke to the stunning news that its military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, had died suddenly at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He was 58 years old.

Abacha’s death, shrouded in mystery, came without warning.

No official cause was ever publicly confirmed, and in line with Islamic rites, he was buried the same day without an autopsy.

The sudden end of his rule brought a dramatic close to one of the most authoritarian eras in Nigeria’s post-independence history.

Rising to power in 1993 through a military coup, General Abacha ran the country with an iron grip.

Under his leadership, Nigeria saw a mix of economic stabilization and international isolation.

While some praised his ability to rein in inflation and restore a degree of fiscal order, his regime was notorious for its human rights abuses, brutal suppression of dissent, and large-scale corruption.

Political opponents were jailed or exiled, and the execution of activists, most notably Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine in 1995, drew global outrage.

The unexpected nature of his death left a vacuum at the top of Nigeria’s military hierarchy.

Yet it also opened the door to rapid political change. Just ten months later, in May 1999, Nigeria transitioned to civilian rule with the inauguration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, a former military leader turned elected president.

More than 25 years on, the legacy of Sani Abacha remains deeply polarizing.

For some, he is remembered as a strong leader who brought order to chaos; for others, he symbolizes repression, lost potential, and the deep scars left by years of autocratic rule.

Regardless of where opinions fall, June 8 stands as a pivotal date in Nigeria’s modern history, a moment when the course of the nation began to shift away from dictatorship and toward democracy.

Amid growing speculation about political tensions in Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sunday met with President Bola Tinubu at the president’s private residence in Bourdillon, located in the upscale Ikoyi area of the state.

Joining Sanwo-Olu at the meeting were members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the apex decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos.

The gathering comes at a time when rumors have circulated about a possible rift between Tinubu and the Lagos governor.

Tensions were thought to have escalated following the controversial removal, and subsequent reinstatement of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Speculation further intensified after Sanwo-Olu was noticeably absent from the flag-off of the deep seaport access road reconstruction in Epe-Ijebu Ode in early June, an event seen as significant within the state’s development agenda.

Social media users also raised eyebrows earlier this month when a video appeared to show President Tinubu seemingly snubbing Governor Sanwo-Olu during the inauguration of the completed Phase 1, Section 1 (30km, six-lane) segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

However, Sunday’s meeting appears to have eased concerns, with observers suggesting it signaled a mending of relations.

In attendance at the high-level meeting were Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat; Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and his deputy, Mojisola Meranda; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; and several other influential figures in Lagos political circles.

Since his arrival in Lagos on May 27, President Tinubu’s Ikoyi residence has seen a steady stream of high-profile visitors, coinciding with a series of events including the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Among the dignitaries who have paid courtesy visits to the president are the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo; former presidential aspirant and cleric, Pastor Tunde Bakare; Rivers State’s suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara; Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke; and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates.