Gen. Abubakar shut down pressure to extend 6-month transition programme – Ex-CSO

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Major General Abdulrasheed Aliyu (retd), former Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the Nigerian military, told reporters on Saturday that General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the former Head of State, rejected calls from within the armed forces to extend the six‑month transition plan that led the country to civilian rule.

Aliyu, who had chaired the committee that organized the public launch of three books honoring Gen. Abubakar on his 84th birthday, described the former leader as “ready to go to any extent, including against himself,” to ensure a peaceful handover to civilian governance.

The books unveiled at the event were titled Call of Duty: An Autobiography of Gen. Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar, Nigeria’s Grand Patriot: Gen. Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar, and Mediating for Peace in Africa: A Festschrift in Honour of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Aliyu recalled an incident from 1998, when he served as the chief security officer for the newly appointed Head of State. “When the six‑month transition programme was announced, the military was split into three factions,” he said. “One group accepted the plan as it was. Another group wanted a five‑ to six‑month extension. The third group doubted whether civilians were ready to take over.”

He said he approached Gen. Abubakar with these concerns. “Sir, the institutions are asking for an extension so that we can keep a small group on standby,” he remembered.

Gen. Abubakar replied, “It is my duty and my task to decide what is best for the country and its people. I have made my decision, and that is what I will do.”

The article “Gen. Abubakar shut down pressure to extend 6‑month transition programme – Ex‑CSO” first appeared on Vanguard News.