Events of recent days starting from the executive order from Mr President on the 6th of June, arose in me not only a fresh consciousness of the June 12 history but also a nostalgia, I was young then, I remember particularly one of the folk songs..

(Read in yoruba)
Të ba ti d'ona abuja k'e sha ti ya sapa kan
E o ri babangida ni bi to tin toro esuru je
Te ba ri e ma fun Te ba fun e ro go
Yio fa yin laso ya nitori werey abuja ni
(Bridge) babangida ke ru e, abiola fe jo ye

The executive order also made me want to even know more about some of the events that shaped history (knowing or hearing then that Abiola was no saint himself - he bankrolled coup and encouraged military juntas) I think Hafsat Abiola- Costello alluded to this when he apologized to PMB, I was curious, I saw some YouTube videos, from interviews to Oputa panel sittings (which I will encourage anyone interested in such topics as military intrigues/ scheming, strategy, all that jazz to take a look at). One of those interviews I can share here is one granted by Sen Tinubu in October 1998 shortly after he returned from exile.

Few things are clear,
1. what are generally believed in the mainstream about figures like IBB, Al-Mustapha, Ayo Opadokun may not be exactly correct
2. many of the actors of that period are still very active in politics today - people don't retire from politics!
3. power is not given it is taken (most times by some form of coercion)

Below is an excerpts of the said interview happy reading

Excerpts from an interview published in The News magazine of October 26, 1998, Sen. Bola Tinubu, then fresh from exile on the intrigues of the Abacha regime, the games politicians and the military played and his hopes for the future. He spoke with Sunday Dare and Henry Ugbolue.

How do you feel to be back home?

It is very, very nice to be back, very good feeling of family, camaraderie to be back in one’s homeland. It is indescribable: the reception, the joy of being back home. First, I want to say a big ‘thank you’ to all journalists. Without you, without your steadfastness, your commitment to truth and justice, your tenacity, the struggle would have been nothing. We are back to strengthen that section of the press which stood for justice courageously. I salute the religious leaders, particularly the CAN (Christian Association of Nigeria) with honourable men such as Rev Sunday Mbang, Reverend Abiodun Adetiloye and the rest of them. To have seen this nation go through struggle without loss of lives in their hundreds of thousands; without turning this Nigeria into Rwanda or Burundi, was due to their prayers, and their courageous support for justice and truth. We will continue to praise them and hold them in the highest esteem. The history of this country will not be complete without their names being written in gold.




Let us take you to the journey to exile. At what point, did it dawn on you that you had to travel out of this country?

At the point that it was clear to me that my life was in danger? Yes, after the annulment and we declared Abacha’s regime illegal, Senator Abraham Adesanya, Senator Kofo Akerele-Bucknor, Senator Ameh Ebute, Senate president; Rev. Father Nwolu and Senator Nweje were arrested initially. I went underground and was being sought by the police and the authorities. Yet, I continued to grant interviews to the international media and the local press. Suddenly, on the 9th of October, my house in Victoria Island, Lagos, was petrol-bombed and a call came in that ‘you grant another interview, you try to abuse this government again, you will be miserable.’ I was still taking those as mere threats until a friend called to tell me that I should go deeper underground or leave the country, that what will happen to me might be a send-forth to eternity. The language he used, I mean the way it was used, coupled with the fact that I was still on drips for jaundice and typhoid, hit me hard.

Later, another friend phoned me that they were heading for my house and I saw the signs. They didn’t meet me at home. I headed for the hospital where I received treatment. I left that hospital in disguise because they were already at the door. They didn’t know I was the one.

My passports had been impounded. But I was assisted by some embassies to procure travel documents with which I travelled. I went through Agege and the rest by commercial motorbike disguised as a mallam (laughs). I even went to bid Kudirat Abiola and the rest good-bye. But I could not go to my mum, I could not say good-bye to everybody else because at that stage, it wasn’t safe to do so. So, I left through the routes that became popularly known as ‘NADECO routes’, out of the country. Sometimes, I had to hitch rides on bikes.

I landed in Benin Republic and made a call to Gen Akinrinade (Alani). As I was talking with him, they were right in front of his house. He said they’d just arrived....



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