ABUJA — Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has categorically dismissed long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding the death of MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

In his newly released autobiography, 'Call of Duty,' presented on Saturday in Abuja to mark his 84th birthday, Abubakar asserts that Abiola died of natural causes, citing a multi-national autopsy conducted by pathologists from Nigeria, the United States, Britain, and Canada.

Setting the Record Straight

General Abubakar addressed the events of July 7, 1998, when Abiola collapsed during a meeting with a visiting U.S. delegation, which included then Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, Tom Pickering, and then-Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Susan Rice.

Refuting allegations of foul play, Abubakar writes, "I do not believe Abiola was poisoned. The family requested an autopsy and we assembled American, British, Nigerian and Canadian pathologists to conduct it. The autopsy report attributed his death to natural causes."

The former leader highlighted that Abiola had been managing significant pre-existing medical conditions specifically hypertension and heart disease since his 1994 arrest by the Abacha administration. He referenced a 1994 radiological report confirming an enlarged heart and hypertensive cardiac disease.

Recounting the Final Moments

Abubakar detailed the unfolding of the tragedy, drawing on the accounts of those present. Both Rice and Pickering recalled that Abiola exhibited signs of severe respiratory distress, including violent coughing and swollen ankles, shortly after the meeting began. Despite the immediate intervention of medical personnel and his transfer to the state clinic, Abiola could not be resuscitated.

"As soon as I picked [the phone], [my CSO] said, in a shaky voice, that there was a problem. I asked: 'What problem again?' He said Abiola was dead. My head went blank," Abubakar recounted.

Addressing Historical Allegations

The autobiography also confronts long-standing rumors regarding the transition period, including allegations that he received $500 million in cash following the death of General Sani Abacha. Abubakar dismissed these claims as "pure fantasy" and "absolute imagination," challenging the logic that such a massive sum could be transferred without international notice.

The book presentation, attended by President Bola Tinubu (represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima), serves as an official record of the sensitive period leading up to Nigeria’s transition to democracy in 1999.