A former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has dismissed claims that Chief MKO Abiola was poisoned, insisting that an autopsy conducted by pathologists from four countries attributed his death to natural causes.
The revelations are contained in Chapter 21 of Abubakar’s 264-page, 27-chapter autobiography titled ‘Call of Duty,’ obtained by our correspondent on Saturday at the public presentation of the book and two others at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
The presentation was held to mark the former Head of State’s 84th birthday and was attended by President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima as Special Guest of Honour.
Writing on the events leading to Abiola’s death on July 7, 1998, Abubakar said the Bashorun collapsed during a meeting with a visiting American delegation comprising Mr Tom Pickering, then U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, and Ms Susan Rice, then Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
“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,” Abubakar wrote.
