The daughter of late Nigerian military ruler, General Sani Abacha, Gumsu Sani Abacha, has fiercely defended her father following recent claims made in former military President Ibrahim Babangida’s newly released memoir, A Journey in Service.
Babangida, in his book, revisited the controversial annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, widely considered Nigeria’s freest and fairest poll.
He alleged that Abacha played a key role in the decision to nullify the election, a claim that has sparked strong reactions from Abacha’s family.
In a cryptic post on social media, Gumsu Abacha took a swipe at Babangida, writing, “Even in death, you are their biggest competition.”
She also posted the word “Weakling” in what many interpreted as a direct response to Babangida’s comments, implying that he was shifting blame onto her father, who is no longer alive to defend himself.
Sadiq Abacha, another of the late General’s children, also weighed in, declaring that his father’s legacy remained untarnished.
“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 said, insisting that Abacha’s critics secretly admired him.
The memoir has reignited debates about Nigeria’s political past, with Babangida describing the annulment as an “accident of history.”
He suggested that internal pressures from his administration, allegedly led by Abacha, forced his hand in annulling the election, a move that plunged Nigeria into political turmoil.
As the controversy continues, the Abacha family remains firm in their stance, arguing that their father’s contributions to Nigeria cannot be erased, regardless of the narratives pushed in Babangida’s book.
Hmmm this our former President IBB recalled me one of the books of James Hardly Chase that i went through since i was lad (during my SS class). “The Dead Stay Dumb”