Mariam Abacha, widow of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has forcefully denied long-held public claims that her husband looted the nation’s wealth or was behind the annulment of the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on Politics on Sunday, a television programme aired on TVC and hosted by Femi Akande, Mrs. Abacha described the accusations against her husband as false and deeply unfair, stressing that much of the narrative about his administration has been distorted over the years.
“The annulment was not done by my husband,” she stated firmly. “And if it was him, then that means he was more powerful than the president at the time. That means Abacha was the greatest. But I’m not here to talk about Babangida or anybody. All I know is that my husband didn’t do it.”
She also challenged reports that the former military ruler siphoned billions of dollars from public funds and stashed them in foreign bank accounts, saying there has never been credible evidence to support such claims.
“Who is the witness to the monies that were allegedly stashed?” she asked. “Did you see his signature or any evidence linking him to money stashed abroad? And even the money my husband kept for Nigeria — in a few months, it vanished. Why blame somebody who is no longer here?”
Mrs. Abacha argued that Nigeria must move beyond tribal and religious biases when confronting national issues. “Why are we so bad towards each other? Because someone is a Northerner or Southerner? A Muslim or a Christian? It’s not fair,” she said emotionally.
On the state of security in the country, the former First Lady lamented Nigeria’s inability to resolve its insurgency problem despite having one of the most experienced and well-equipped military forces in Africa.
“I don’t know why insurgents have lingered this long,” she said. “Other smaller nations have tackled theirs. We are bigger, richer, and more experienced.”
She called for closer collaboration between civilian authorities and the armed forces to address the situation effectively. “I believe in our military. If ECOMOG could restore peace in other countries, why can’t we have peace here? The government must work hand-in-hand with the military,” she stressed.
Recalling her time as Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs. Abacha expressed concern over the lack of continuity in government programs. She praised the Africa First Ladies Peace Mission, an initiative she pioneered, which she said continues to function across the continent.
“Every government comes with its own programs. But if there is no continuity, there will be no progress,” she remarked.
In defending military rule, she asserted that no government, whether civilian or military, has entirely failed.
“Military governance is different. They have the will and the power,” she said. “Maybe the civilians are not that strong. But the solution lies in cooperation. No government can fail.”
Mrs. Abacha concluded by appealing to Nigerians and the media to adopt a more patriotic and constructive approach to public discourse.
“Let’s pray for our country. Let’s be good to our leaders and say good things. The press should be truthful and help build the nation, not destroy people’s reputations,” she added.
