Abacha Offered Abiola Bribe to Renounce June 12 Mandate — Oshiomhole
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has revealed that late business mogul and presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, could have secured his release from detention under the military regime of late Sani Abacha if he had agreed to renounce the mandate given to him by Nigerians.
Oshiomhole made the disclosure on Friday in Akure during the June 12 Democracy Day lecture held at the International Culture and Event Centre, popularly known as The Dome. The lecture was themed, “June 12 and Beyond: Reflecting on the Progress of Democracy and Security Concerns.”
According to the former Nigeria Labour Congress president, Abacha was willing to offer Abiola any amount of money he requested to cover the expenses incurred during his presidential campaign, on the condition that he publicly renounced his mandate and apologized on national television for declaring himself winner of the historic election.
Oshiomhole said Abiola was repeatedly pressured by top government officials to accept the deal in exchange for his freedom, but he refused to compromise.
“Abiola could have sold his mandate. The military was ready to pay whatever he demanded to forgo his mandate,” Oshiomhole said.
He further recalled that Abacha made it clear that while he could tolerate many things from Abiola, he would not accept his insistence on being recognized as the duly elected president.
“Abacha told us he was ready to tolerate and do anything for Abiola, but he was not ready to tolerate Abiola claiming he won the election,” he stated.
Reflecting on the struggle following the annulment of the June 12 election, Oshiomhole said he and other pro-democracy activists met with senior government officials who urged them to persuade Abiola to accept certain conditions for his release.
He narrated how, after several attempts, they were granted access to Abiola at the police headquarters, where he personally handed him a mobile phone to speak with officials seeking to convince him.
“I do not know everything that was said to him, but I heard his responses. At one point, he remarked that when a person is already inside the river, there is no need to worry about getting wet,” Oshiomhole recounted.
According to him, Abiola maintained that he remained the legitimate president, having been freely elected by Nigerians, and insisted he would never betray the millions who left their farms, offices, businesses, and schools to cast their votes.
“He said their sacrifice could not be monetized or traded away by accepting conditions that undermined the people’s mandate,” Oshiomhole said.
He described Abiola’s refusal to compromise as a powerful lesson in courage, persistence, and loyalty to the people.
“The lesson of June 12 is persistence and loyalty to those who made sacrifices on your behalf. He taught us that not everything can be bought with money and that some principles are worth more than life itself,” he added.
Oshiomhole noted that although Abiola died in detention, history has immortalized him as a symbol of democratic resistance.
“Abiola died, but history has remembered him with honour. Those who opposed him have faded into the background, while his legacy endures,” he said.
The senator also recounted his personal experience during the June 12 struggle, revealing that he was arrested and detained by security operatives before being transferred to military intelligence detention facilities.
He described the harsh conditions in detention, noting that some cells were underground, without windows or light, and had water covering the floor.
“Spending even twenty-four hours in such conditions was enough to make anyone appreciate the value of freedom,” he said.
Oshiomhole warned Nigerians, especially young people, against taking democracy for granted because of current economic difficulties, stressing that life under military rule was far worse.
“Democracy does not promise a perfect society. What it guarantees is the freedom to speak, the freedom to criticize, and the protection of the rule of law,” he said.
He emphasized that the essence of the June 12 struggle was not merely about economic prosperity but about defending the sanctity of the people’s mandate and the right to freedom.
“At the heart of the June 12 struggle is the understanding that democracy should not be measured solely by wealth or material comfort. If money were everything, Abiola could have accepted a settlement and walked away. Instead, he chose to defend the mandate given to him by Nigerians,” Oshiomhole concluded.
