Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that late military ruler, General Sani Abacha, had a deadly plan to eliminate him, Chief Moshood Abiola, and General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua while they were in detention—just to ensure he remained in power for life.
Obasanjo made the revelation during a visit to Ogbor Uvuru in Aboh Mbaise, Imo State, over the weekend, where he commissioned the newly built Assemblies of God Church, “The Noah’s Ark,” donated by philanthropist and real estate mogul, Obioma Success Akagburuonye.
Reflecting on his time in prison under Abacha’s regime, Obasanjo said: “When I was arrested, I initially thought it was a mistake. But I later realised it was a calculated move. Abacha had decided that some of us must die if he was to remain in power permanently.”
He added that Abacha openly boasted that none of the three—Abiola, Yar’Adua, and Obasanjo—would leave prison alive. “Two of them didn’t make it out. I did—not by my strength, but by the special grace of God,” he said.
The former president recalled how he resorted to prayers, even praying like the biblical Stephen, asking God to forgive his persecutors. “I resigned myself into the hands of God,” he said. “If anyone has enjoyed the amazing grace of God, I am that person.”
He also recounted attending a course in Ghana in 1959, where only two of the nine successful Nigerian participants are still alive today. “It’s not that we were better than the others—it’s just grace,” he noted.
Obasanjo praised Akagburuonye for using his wealth to honour God, describing the Noah’s Ark church structure as a magnificent gift to the Christian faith.
He also paid tribute to the donor’s 104-year-old mother, kneeling before her to draw from what he described as “the grace of long life.”
The dedication of the church, designed in the likeness of the biblical Noah’s Ark, attracted a large crowd of worshippers, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and dignitaries, including Rev. Dr. Sarah Seoh from Los Angeles, USA, Rev. Abel Ukachi Amadi, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church Nigeria, and other top figures from politics and industry.
