Abiola Ignored My Candidacy, Picked Kingibe – Atiku Recounts June 12 Betrayal

In an exclusive interview for Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, set to air today but obtained in advance by Daily Trust, Atiku detailed why Abiola deviated from an earlier agreement with Yar’adua to select him (Atiku) as his running mate after securing the SDP ticket.

Atiku addressed previous misinterpretations of the events and recalled that after the first round of voting, he reached out to Yar’adua, who was in Kaduna due to a political ban, warning that Babagana Kingibe was likely to win unless immediate action was taken.

He urged Yar’adua to come to Jos without delay, knowing that Yar’adua opposed Kingibe’s candidacy. Yar’adua arrived in Jos at around 3 or 4 a.m. and held a crucial meeting at Alhaji Yahaya Kwande’s residence with Abiola present. While Atiku was not privy to their conversation, Yar’adua later turned to him and said, “Turaki,” to which Atiku responded, “Yes, sir.” Yar’adua then instructed him to step down for Abiola, and Atiku promptly agreed.

However, Atiku later discovered that SDP governors had pressured Abiola into choosing Kingibe as his running mate instead of honoring his prior commitment to Yar’adua. The governors, who had secured their positions under Kingibe’s tenure as SDP chairman, allegedly threatened Abiola, warning that they would withdraw their support if he did not select Kingibe. Under intense political pressure, Abiola ultimately chose Kingibe as his vice-presidential candidate.