Abacha's Coup Speech of November 1993

Reproduced below is the speech delivered by late General Sani Abacha, after booting Chief Ernest Shonekan, Head of Interim Government (ING), out of office. Abacha was ‘Vice President, Defence Secretary and Senior Minister’ by virtue of Decree 61promulgated by the General Ibrahim Babangida. With all those positions, it was only a matter of time before Abacha struck. He didn’t have to wait long, as a court declared ING illegal.

                                                   ********************

                                                                                               

Fellow Nigerians,

Sequel to the resignation of the former Head of the Interim National Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Chief Ernest Shonekan and my subsequent appointment as Head of State and Commander-in-Chief, I have had extensive consultations within the armed forces hierarchy and other well meaning Nigerians in a bid to find solutions to the various political, economic and social problems which have engulfed our beloved country, and which have made life most difficult to the ordinary citizen of this nation.

Chief Ernest Shonekan took over as Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces at a most trying time in the history of the country.  Politically, economically, and socially, there were lots of uncertainties.  Things appeared bleak and the atmosphere was heavy with uncertainties.  However, driven by a belief in himself, his countrymen, and love for his country, he accepted to face the challenges of our time.  I will, therefore, like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to him for his selfless service to the nation.  He showed great courage at taking on the daunting task of heading the Interim National Government and even greater courage to know when to leave.

President Olusegun Obasanjo's Inaugural Speech on May 29, 1999

The speech below was delivered by President Olusegun Obasanjo following his swearing-in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 1999.
                                

                               *******************************

Fellow Nigerians, we give praise and honour to God Almighty for this day specially appointed by God Himself. Everything created by God has its destiny and it is the destiny of all of us to see this day.  Twelve months ago, no one could have predicted the series of stunning events that made it possible for democratic elections to be held at the Local Government level, the State level, and culminating in the National Assembly Elections. Thereafter, you the good people of Nigeria elected me, a man who had walked through the valley of the shadow of death, as your President, to head a democratic civilian administration. I believe that this is what God Almighty has ordained for me and for my beloved country Nigeria and its people. I accept this destiny in all humility and with the full belief that with the backing of our people we shall not fail.

On Aburi we Stand --Ojukwu

Nigerians leaders met in Aburi, Ghana on the 4^th – 5^th of January, 1967 to try to resolve their differences. Unfortunately, the meeting only served to ‘postpone the evil days’—the Civil War. On May 30, 1967 Lt.-Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu spoke his mind about the non-implementation of the Aburi Agreement through is now-famous ‘On Aburi we Stand’ Speech. The speech is reproduced below:

                                         

                     ON ABURI WE STAND            

Anybody who was present at the Aburi meeting or has read the minutes, the communiqués, statements, and verbatim reports would be surprised that a person who calls himself a head of state could so deliberately mislead accredited representatives of foreign governments by saying that the implementation of each item of the conclusions required prior detailed examination by the administrative and professional experts in the various fields. The conclusions in Aburi were no proposals but decisions taken by the highest authority in the land.