Sani Abacha, late military head of state
Sadiq, son of Sani Abacha, the late military head of state, has praised his father following claims by former military president Ibrahim Babangida about his father’s role in the annulment of the June 12 presidential election.
Reacting to the ongoing conversations on the book, ‘A Journey in Service’, the autobiography of Babangida, launched in Abuja on Thursday, Sadiq said those who have consistently disparaged his father’s name have always been motivated by envy.
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).
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.
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He 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.
In a post on Facebook on Saturday, Sadiq praised his father’s legacy and expressed confidence that history will ultimately judge him favourably.
“The man Abacha, you have always been the man they have envied with silent deceit. History shall remember you for being a better leader no matter how much they try to put you down. As a son, I’m most proud of you today. You indeed are the man they wish they were half off,” he wrote on Facebook.
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Sadiq concluded his statement with a cryptic Hausa phrase, “duk wanda yayi jifa a kasuwa…” which translates to “Whoever utters insults at a public market knows who they are intended for.”
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