Alleged Coup Plot: I begged Abacha not to execute Obasanjo in 1995 – Gowon
Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has revealed that he pleaded with the late Gen. Sani Abacha to spare former President Olusegun Obasanjo from execution over an alleged coup plot in 1995.
Gowon shared this during the Interdenominational Unity Christmas Carol and Praise Festival organized by the Plateau State Government. Obasanjo, who was convicted of the coup plot, spent three years in prison before his release in 1998 following Abacha’s death.
“I wrote a letter to Abacha, I pleaded with him that God made him a leader to do good and not evil.
“I sent my wife with the letter in the middle of the night to Abacha in Abuja; I pleaded with him that such a thing should not happen.
“I’m glad that soon after that, things changed, and not only that Obasanjo left prison, he became our president in 1999.
“This is something that only prayers and sincerity can do; I’m happy that today myself and Obasanjo are here to celebrate the unity of Plateau,” he said.
