Former Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, has revealed the behind-the-scenes efforts he made to prevent the execution of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1995.
Speaking at the first edition of the Interdenominational Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival organized by the Plateau State Government, Gowon disclosed that he personally intervened during the height of the crisis involving Obasanjo, who had been arrested by General Sani Abacha on charges of plotting a coup to overthrow his regime.
Gowon recalled how he wrote a letter to Abacha, urging him to show mercy and spare Obasanjo’s life. “I wrote a letter to Abacha, I pleaded with him that God made him a leader to do good and not evil,” he said. He revealed that in the dead of night, he sent his wife with the letter to Abacha in Abuja, hoping to change the dictator’s mind.
Reflecting on the outcome, Gowon expressed relief that his intervention had a positive impact. “I’m glad that soon after that, things changed, and not only that Obasanjo left prison, he became our president in 1999,” he said.
Gowon emphasized the role of prayer and sincerity in achieving peace, noting that the remarkable turn of events—Obasanjo’s release and eventual presidency—was a sign of divine intervention. “I’m happy that today myself and Obasanjo are here to celebrate the unity of Plateau,” he added, underscoring the importance of reconciliation and unity in Nigeria’s political history.
This revelation sheds new light on the efforts that went into preventing further bloodshed during Nigeria’s tense military era and highlights the unlikely political reconciliation that would follow in the years to come.
