Gowon, Murtala, Yar’Adua, Abdulsalami Made Modern Nigeria Possible — Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that four military leaders — General Yakubu Gowon, General Murtala Mohammed, Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar — made foundational contributions that shaped modern Nigeria.

Obasanjo made the remarks on Saturday at the public presentation of three books in honour of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said Nigeria’s present political structure and democratic evolution would not have been possible without the actions and decisions taken by the four leaders during critical moments in the country’s history.

According to him, although none of them were perfect, each played a decisive role in shaping national stability and progress.

“Four military leaders have made tremendous contributions to Nigeria of today, and without their contribution, we would not be where we are. They are all not perfect human beings. They all made mistakes, but they all made contributions without which we could not have been able to have Nigeria of today,” Obasanjo said.

Describing himself as both an eyewitness and participant in many of the historical events involving the leaders, Obasanjo gave specific recognition to each of them, beginning with General Gowon.

He said Gowon’s handling of the political crisis following the July 1966 coup, as well as his leadership during the civil war, helped preserve the unity of the country at a critical time.

“Without his mature and nationalistic way of handling the post-second coup crisis, the Nigerian story would have been much different from what it is today,” he said.

Obasanjo also praised the late General Murtala Mohammed, noting that his brief but impactful leadership helped reposition Nigeria internationally and accelerated the country’s return to democratic governance.

He further acknowledged the late Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, describing him as a symbol of courage, loyalty, and sacrifice, who remained committed to national unity.

Turning to General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Obasanjo described him as a “great military leader, officer and gentleman, patriot, nationalist, elder statesman and peacemaker,” who played a decisive role in Nigeria’s democratic transition.

He recalled that Abdulsalami assumed leadership at a time of uncertainty following the death of General Sani Abacha and successfully guided the country through a peaceful transition process.

“You sagaciously managed the seeming confusion and uncertainty that followed Abacha’s death. You emerged from the cloud and carefully proceeded to untangle the nation,” Obasanjo said.

He noted that Abdulsalami’s administration released political detainees and made efforts to stabilise the country, including steps to address the aftermath of the June 12, 1993 presidential election crisis.

Obasanjo also recalled receiving a phone call from Abdulsalami informing him of the death of Chief MKO Abiola.

“I remember you telling me on telephone, ‘Our man is dead.’ ‘Who is our man?’ was my question, and I screamed when you mentioned Abiola,” he said.

He commended Abdulsalami for ensuring the restoration of democratic rule within a year of taking office, noting that Nigeria has sustained democracy for 27 years since that transition.

“Within less than one year of your taking office, we had democracy restored, and 27 years after that restoration, we still have democracy,” he said.

Obasanjo added that Abdulsalami has continued to play a stabilising role in Nigeria’s democracy through advisory and statesmanship engagements.

He congratulated the former Head of State on his 84th birthday and wished him continued good health and long life.