Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar takes over, after Abacha's death
by Chido Nwangwu and reporters in Lagos, Abuja, the BBC and agency services.
Following the sudden death of Nigeria's former strongman, Gen. Sani
Abacha, one of his proteges has been sworn into office in a quick
transition to assert and present a sense of stability in the restive
Nigerian armed forces and citizenry.
The new head of state, Major-General Abdusalam Abubakar, has been serving as the defence chief of staff of the Nigerian Army. Abubakar was chosen by Nigeria's Provisional Ruling Council at a late-night session, Monday June 8, after the burial of General Abacha.
In a brief acceptance speech to the ruling military council in Abuja, General Abubakar, a career soldier, described his appointment as a personal challenge requiring the support of Nigerians. He said: "All hands must be on deck to move this nation forward. I will address the nation in due course," he said.
The new head of state plans to address his country, soon, but made no mention of presidential referendum which Abacha had set for August 1 as the only "consensus candidate."
Sola Odunfa, a correspondent for the BBC in Lagos, says the transition to civilian rule is likely to be more transparent under General Abubakar.
The new leader declared a week of national mourning from Tuesday in honor of Gen. Abacha. Flags will be flown at half mast on all public buildings.
His former deputy, Lieutenant-General Oladipo Diya was sentenced to death in April for plotting to take power, and the post was never filled.
According to the BBC, some opposition supporters have already said power must go to Chief Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 election, who has been in jail for five years awaiting trial for treason. But the chairman of the opposition National Democratic Coalition of Nigeria (NADECO) said that whoever succeeded General Abacha should respect the scheduled transition to civilian rule.
How Gen. Abubakar will rule is yet to be seen. The opposition leaders, tell USAfrica and The BBJ reporters in Nigeria, they will watch closely and insist that the return to a true civilian democratic elections begin, henceforth. Will Abubakar determine his schedule based on what one of my sources in Abuja intimated to be "Gen. Abubakar's willingness to step beyond the unending fights Gen. Abacha had with pro-democracy forces, the agenda of a conflicted army or the popular wish of Nigerians for a representative government? It will be a combination of all of the above. Without a doubt, the army can no longer have its way, any how, in today's Nigeria. It is not yet, Uhuru (Freedom Day) in Nigeria, but millions watch with caution the post-Abacha days in their traumatized country.
Special edition for USAfrica Media Networks the first African-American information newspaper and reporters in Lagos, Abuja, the BBC and agency
services © copyright reserved.
06/09/98
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