Abiola's cause of death was cardiac arrest, not poisoning, according to Gen. Abubakar

Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has categorically denied the claim that Chief Moshood Abiola was poisoned, citing an autopsy report by pathologists from four countries that attributed his death to natural causes.

This revelation is contained in Chapter 21 of Gen. Abubakar's 264-page autobiography, 'Call of Duty,' which was presented to the public on Saturday at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, alongside two other books.

The public presentation of the books was part of the events marking Gen. Abubakar's 84th birthday, held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and was chaired by former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon.

The event was attended by several notable figures, including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, as well as President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, and the leadership of the National Assembly.

Gen. Abubakar wrote in his book that Abiola collapsed during a meeting with a visiting American delegation, comprising Mr Tom Pickering and Ms Susan Rice, on July 7, 1998.

He stated, "I do not believe Abiola was poisoned," and explained that an autopsy was conducted at the request of Abiola's family, with pathologists from America, Britain, Nigeria, and Canada participating, and the report attributing his death to natural causes.

According to Gen. Abubakar, Abiola had been managing pre-existing medical conditions, including hypertension and a heart ailment, since 1994 when he was first detained.

He noted that a radiological report by Colonel (Dr) O. Awofeso in 1994 had found that Abiola's heart was enlarged, consistent with hypertensive cardiac disease.

Gen. Abubakar cited Susan Rice's 2019 memoir, which described how Abiola began coughing mildly during their conversation before it became severe, and also quoted Tom Pickering's account of the events leading to Abiola's death.

Abiola had complained of feeling hot and asked for the air-conditioning to be turned up, after which a doctor was summoned and diagnosed a heart attack, according to Gen. Abubakar's account.

Gen. Abubakar recalled receiving the news of Abiola's death from his Chief Security Officer, Major General Abdulrasheed Aliyu, and described breaking the news to Abiola's family, including the moment when one of Abiola's daughters broke down in tears.

He also addressed allegations that he had received $500m in cash following Abacha's death, describing the claim as "pure fantasy" and "an absolute imagination," and stating that nobody had given him such an amount.

Gen. Abubakar succeeded Abacha as Head of State and oversaw Nigeria's transition to civilian rule, handing over to President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999.

Abiola's death occurred just over a month after that of General Sani Abacha, and had been the subject of widespread speculation that he had been eliminated to prevent his release and inauguration, having been in detention since 1994 after declaring himself President.