Personal Assistant to the late
Bashorun MKO Abiola, Olu Akerele, has revealed how a plan to forcefully bring
the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections out of jail
failed.
Akerele made the revelation on
The Platform, a programme on TVC News.
According to him, they came up
with the plan after it became clear that the late General Sani Abacha, had no
plans to free Abiola.
But Abiola was reluctant about
the scheme as he was concerned about the safety of his family.
Akerele said: “At a stage when
nothing was moving on again, the Supreme Court was not sitting, it’s like the
man (Abiola) had been abandoned there.
“Then, some of his friends
approached me, both in the military, retired and then civilians. They sent
someone to me to meet them somewhere. Getting there, I saw an American diplomat
that I knew had been coming to court. So, they now raised the issue of
spiriting Abiola out of that place. And they thought it could be done.
“But, we need the support of then
Big (Uncle) Sam, Abiola’s friends in America. So, we parleyed over it and it
was decided that I should get in touch with his PA (Personal Assistant) in the
United States (U.S.). There’s one Randy Echols. He was my opposite number in
Washington. They now suggested that the man should get in touch with Abiola’s
friends at the Capitol so they would work out the thing. So, they took me to a
secret house (in Abuja) and gave me a secure phone. Surprisingly, I was on to
Randy.”
At that time, Abiola’s personal
aide had just been released from jail because he was caught relaying messages
for him in prison.
Akerele said: “We got Randy and
the idea was that Randy should link with his friends over there – that’s
Abiola’s friends and then with the military. There’s one ship mooring somewhere
in the ocean. So, a small plane would come and land in Abuja. It’s a question
of taking Abiola from that jail. Four, five hours, he’s into the plane. Then,
the plane flies out. So, that was the idea. But when the thing was discussed
with the late MKO through the window as usual, he said, ‘it’s a dangerous thing
to do ooo’. And that if his friends or my friends insisted, we should leave out
his children and members of his family out of it because the Abacha he knew
would not hesitate to wipe out his family and the families of those people
guarding him.
“But we thought it was
fool-proof. We thought we could do it. Because they were not so popular, except
those who were making money from them. So, we thought Randy would do the right
thing. Then, just for him to ensure he was talking to the right person – me. I
had met him twice when he came with MKO to Abuja when things were going okay.
‘I now asked him to confirm my identity with Doyin, our managing director (of
Concord Press) and Alhaji Akinteye, that’s the PA to MKO in his office.”
Akerele said Randy Echols
mistakenly spilled out the plan by calling Abiola’s children instead.
“This thing I’m going to say
would embarrass some people, but they just have to take it like that. Instead
of talking to Doyin or Akinteye, Randy now called Wuraola Abiola, that is
Kola’s youngest sibling, to ask about me. He asked: ‘Who is this Olu?’ Then
Wura now called Agbo, the MD of RCN, asking: ‘who is this Olu?’ Then Agbo now
called Kola.”
The Abiola aide said Kola called
him, asking: “Olu, what’s going on? They said there is one Olu making enquiries
about some things?”
But Akerele feigned ignorance of
the matter and denied involvement, responding: “Oh, is that so? I don’t know
anything about it.
The PA added: “That was the end
of the thing.”
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