In reaction to a statement credited to Major Al Mustapha (Rtd.) the former chief security adviser (CSO) to former head of state, late General Sani Abacha after a meeting to broker peace between the North and South Eastern part of the country over the quit notice issued to Igbos by Arewa Coalition group in Kaduna state alledging that Yoruba leaders led by Chief Ayo Opadokun collected bribe from the killers of the late acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, chief MKO Abiola in Aso Rock Presidential villa, Mr. Ayo Opadokun has debunked the allegation and described Al Mustapha as a pathological liar and scoundrel.
In a media chat in his office in Lagos earlier today, Mr. Ayo Opadokun also afforded journalists, photocopies of newspapers reportage of the same allegation which Al Mustapha made in August 2011 while undergoing trial for the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, wife of late chief MKO Abiola.
Ayo Opadokun said, he owed it a duty to set the records straight against the attempt by Al Mustapha to malign the character of notable and patriotic leaders of NADECO, some of whom are now late.
He also produced copies of newspapers reportage of Al Mustapha allegation and recant following he, Ayo Opadokun reaction to the wild allegation in 2011. (See The Guardian of Saturday August 6, 2011, Front Pg and 09, The Nation of Tuesday August 9th, 2011, Pg 62 and the rested Nigerian Compass of Saturday August 6th, 2011, Pg 1 and 9).
According to Ayo Opadokun, by his allegations, Al Mustapha is only trying to use credible Yoruba leaders to white wash his battered and soiled image of which no detergent in the world can clean.
According to Ayo Opadokun, “I was incarcerated in Ikoyi prisons for 24 calendar months under late General Sani Abacha for my political views and leanings, only to be released by General Abdulsalami Abubakar after Abacha’s death”.
“Upon my release, my leader and chairman of NADECO, late Pa Abraham Adesanya informed me that the new administration of Abdulsalami Abukakar was meeting with various groups across the country on the way forward and has requested a meeting with the leadership of NADECO, of which I was chosen to be a member of the team”.
The members of the NADECO team comprised of the following notable Nigerians; late Pa Abraham Adesanya, late chief Francis Okpozo, Arthur Nwankwo, Bola Ige and Ayo Opadokun. According to him, the team met with the head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar and his Chief of staff and deputy, Commodore Mike Okhai Akhigbe with then Colonel Leo Ajiborisa, the staff officer to the head of state, who took the minutes of the meeting.
At the meeting which held in the villa eight (8) days after the death of General Abacha, comprised of 5 NADECO members, Ayo Opadokun stated that the team told the head of state that the only forward was for the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola to be released from detention and allowed to form a Government of National Unity (GNU) and thereafter convoke a Sovereign National Conference (SNC).
After the conclusion of the meeting, we were driven straight from the villa to the airport”.
Ayo Opadokun restated that at no time was he a member of a team of Yoruba leaders other than NADECO members who met and discussed on the way forward with the Abdulsalami Abubakar administration after the death of General Sani Abacha.
Mr. Opadokun said that he is particularly pained that a Major Al Mustapha (Rtd.) who ought to be consigned to the dustbin of history because of the despicable role he played in holding the country hostage through unleashing violence on the citizenry is now being given cheap popularity which his spurious allegation is meant to achieve in the media.
Mr. Ayo Opadokun accused Major Al Mustapha of blackmail, lying and choreographing falsehood.
In response to a question on the mental state of Major Al Mustapha following his resurrection of his old allegations of 2011, Ayo Opadokun stated that it is not out of place for Al Mustapha to have been mentally affected by his self induced long stay in prison while undergoing trial for the murder of late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
My Opadokun gave Major Al Mustapha 7 days to retract his allegation and produce the tape, else he will be suing him for libel.
