Atiku Reveals Yar’Adua Asked Him to Step Down for MKO Abiola in 1993

Former Vice President and ex-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has disclosed that his late political mentor, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, instructed him to step down for the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election, MKO Abiola.

Atiku said Yar’Adua gave the directive during the Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries, emphasizing that he had no choice but to comply.

Speaking in an interview with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie on Untold Stories, Atiku also revealed that SDP governors threatened to withdraw their support if Abiola chose him as running mate instead of Babagana Kingibe.

“There have been some misinterpretations of what actually happened, even though I have previously addressed the circumstances surrounding that incident,” Atiku stated.

He recounted how he convinced Abiola to travel to Jos at the last minute to prevent Babagana Kingibe from winning the primary.

“So he drove all the way from Kaduna to Jos. By the time he arrived, it was around 3 or 4 a.m. He called for a meeting at Ambassador Kwande’s house. I do not know what he discussed with MKO Abiola. I was not privy to the meeting, and he did not tell me.

“But when we got to the meeting in Kwande’s house, he simply told me, ‘Turaki.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’ He said, ‘Step down for MKO Abiola.’ I said, ‘Okay, sir. I have stepped down.’”

The 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s freest and fairest, was later annulled by the military regime of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB).

In February 2025, Babangida expressed regret over the annulment, acknowledging that the election was credible and should not have been overturned.