Gen Ishola reveals what IBB did to Abacha before June 12 annulment

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Contrary to what former Head of State Gen. Ibrahim Babangida revealed in a recently published book, General Ishola Williams (rtd), a senior member of the Nigerian Army during the military years, claims that the former military leader prepared the late General Sani Abacha to assume power prior to his contentious annulment on June 12, 1993.

Former Chief of Defense Training and Planning Gen. Williams was a guest on the Friday episode of Channels Television’s sociopolitical show Inside Sources with Laolu Akande.

Babangida’s 420-page memoir, “A Journey in Service: An Autobiography of Ibrahim Babangida,” was introduced on February 20, 2025, in Abuja to a packed house. Among those listed was Gen. Williams.

Babangida, also known as IBB, acknowledged for the first time in his memoir—which has since received a plethora of praise and criticism—that the late philanthropist and democracy hero Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola was the victor of the June 12, 1993 election.

He accused Abacha of canceling the poll without his consent, even though IBB accepted responsibility for the cancellation.

While he detailed the series of events that followed the annulment of the election that was deemed to be the most free and fair in Nigerian history on page 296 of the book, IBB said, “Within the military leadership, there was palpable outrage. The best of us, like Lt-General Salihu Ibrahim and Major-General Ishola Williams, were alarmed, and Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar threatened to resign.”

Gen. Williams went down memory lane to offer insights into what happened. He said that before he declared the election void, IBB had readyed Abacha to take his place.

Gen Williams further alleged the transition government headed by the late billionaire Ernest Sonekan was really a farce. Major Williams said he resigned after the June 12 annulment.

According to Gen. Williams, the plot was conceived at a generals’ meeting that included IBB and Abacha.

Gen Williams said, “Gen Babangida forgot to mention that he used to call Gen Abacha the Khalipha which meant that one way or the other, he was encouraging Gen Abacha to succeed him.

“And to a certain extent, in my conversation with Gen Babangida, just before he stepped aside, one midnight in Minna, he could not answer a question that I asked him: ‘Did you have a blood oath with Abacha that he would succeed you?’ I asked him that question but he refused to answer. In Minna, one-on-one, at the Presidential Guest House in Minna.

“Before that, there was a group of civilian governors in his regime that came to visit him and encouraged him not to hand over. It was when they left that I asked him the question and told him not to mind the governors, that the best thing is for him to leave.”

In August 1993, Gen. Williams said he have written to IBB stating that the best course of action for the military would be to cede control to civilians.

“I told him that we were preparing to receive him in Minna with full military honours after he stepped aside. And I did that. I was a Commander in Minna at that time. He came to Minna with his wife. Many officers came with him. These officers knew that he had stepped aside but put pressure on him to appoint a new CDS (chief of defense staff) and service chiefs.

“He (IBB) appointed new service chiefs and when those ones came to tell me, I said you are not going to last very long… Shortly after that, Gen Abacha flew in, met with Gen Babangida in his house and when he came out he changed all of them (service chiefs).

“There was a meeting before the interim government where officers from Brigadier General and above of the Armed Forces met in the Villa. The late Attorney General (Clement) Akpamgbo was the only civilian at the meeting.

“When the discussion started about June 12, I was alarmed and I said: ‘What are we discussing? I thought we came here to discuss the handover process?’ Gen Abacha was sitting to my right and in between us was Gen Diya. Gen Abacha said Ishola don’t talk like that but I said we should be discussing handing over, not annulment. On what basis will the election be annulled? But nobody answered me.

“It was only Gen Ikonne who supported me. By that time, the election had not been annulled yet but the election had taken place.”

According to Gen. Williams, Babangida created a decree during the meeting for a transitional period.

“I said we don’t need the transitional government but it was ruled out. The whole decree was planned in such a way so that Abacha could take over,” he said.

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