Victor Ezeja
Former lawmaker, Senator Chris Anyanwu, has debunked a claim by ex-governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, that she wrote an “apology letter” to former Head of State late Gen. Sani Abacha.
Senator Anyanwu challenged Ohakim to produce the letter, adding it could not have been a top government secret for three decades.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAnyanwu, a journalist, author and politician, was jailed from 1995 to 1998 for treason charges after she reported a failed coup d’état against the government of Sani Abacha.
She was released by General Abdulsalam Abubakar, who became the head of state after the death of Abacha.
Anyanwu, who represented Imo East at the Senate from 2007 to 2015, recently made a public presentation of her autobiography titled, BOLD LEAP.
Reacting to some of the issues she raised in the book, Ohakim, who served as Imo governor from 2007 to 2011, recently alleged that Anyanwu wrote an apology letter to Abacha, stating that she told lies against the then military government.
The former governor threatened to publish a copy of the purported apology letter for Nigerians to see.
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However, in a statement made available to Prime Business Africa on Sunday, Senator Anyanwu said it is not possible for anyone to write such letter to Abacha military government without it being made public by “a propaganda hungry administration.”
“No one could write Abacha or his government and it became Nigeria’s greatest secret,” she stated.
“How did it happen that a document that could have provided the propaganda hungry administration its greatest campaign weapon globally got locked up and no one else mentioned it, wrote about it in the numerous books written on that era in these 30 years? Except Ohakim!! ” She asked.
“Where was this letter written; when was it written, by whom and to whom was it given? And how did it happen that it was only lkedi Ohakim that had access to it? And by the way, where was lkedi Ohakim 30 years ago, in the DAYS OF TERROR when people were fighting, dying, escaping and suffering for Democracy? Was he helping the oppressors?,” she further asked.
She said Ohakim must explain what he did for a living at the time and what qualified him to keep Abacha’s secrets.
She maintained that she never contemplated the idea let alone putting it in writing to Abacha “even under the gun,” and does not know anyone who did so on her behalf.
“I dare Governor Ikedi Ohakim to produce the letter in his possession in court before forensic experts before the eyes of the world.
“He should remember it was a global story not just local and there were some who knew better. Coming out and telling this joke will make him an international clown. But Let him produce the letter he got from Gen. Abacha and government.”
She called on the Federal Government to verify the said letter in Ohakim’s possession, adding that he should explain how it manifested and who produced it.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
