Day I got a query for opposing Abacha’s self- succession bid – Amb. Shehu Malami

I am talking about Professor Attahiru Jega now. Does he have four years to prepare for elections? He hasn’t got four years. I am talking about the time limit which he has to operate now. Everybody said he is a very good man and he will do it well. Therefore, it is only natural to […]

I am talking about Professor Attahiru Jega now. Does he have four years to prepare for elections? He hasn’t got four years. I am talking about the time limit which he has to operate now. Everybody said he is a very good man and he will do it well. Therefore, it is only natural to give him the latitude to find out what are the problems he has to face. And if there are problems, it is our responsibility to find the solutions to those problems because he can’t solve them alone. Jega, as chairman, he is now the one to tell us that yes, I have found out that A is clear, B is clear but I need more time for this. That is all I said. I have never proposed a tenure elongation plot for anybody.

In fact, I have always been against tenure elongation. The late General Sani Abacha was a great friend of mine. He was the one who appointed me Nigeria’s first High Commissioner to South Africa after apartheid. There was a time I came all the way from South Africa to Abuja to see him. Fortunately, there were areas I usually go to meet him and he gave me appointment on the spot. I would either go to the airport when he was travelling or coming back; or meet at the Friday mosque. I was sure when I see him at the mosque or the airport, he would talk to his ADC and I would be given an appointment. But that day, I came all the way from South Africa, but he didn’t look disposed to see me.

But I learnt later that there were some people I was discussing with and I said that Abacha would not make a very good political president. I discussed that with some friends.  In particular, I remember discussing that with General Abdulsalami Abubakar. We met at the Friday mosque and we saw General Abacha into the villa. When Abdulsalam came back, I started talking about the dangers of Sani Abacha wishing to go into politics by succeeding himself. My opinion was that Sani Abacha couldn’t make a good political president. I remember also discussing with the late General Ibrahim Gumel among others. I also learnt later that perhaps it was because of my opinion that some people who got the ears of Sani Abacha decided to drag a wedge between me and Sani Abacha. Like at that particular occasion, I had to go back to South Africa without meeting him.

The same thing applies to Obasanjo. Obasanjo has been very kind to me. There was never a time that I would call Obasanjo that he refused to pick my call. Sometimes, I even call him after midnight. He has always been kind to me. He picks my calls no matter the time. But he never spoke to me about his third term project. There was a time he was in Kebbi for a state visit. In Birnin Kebbi, I was the last to see Obasanjo that evening and we discussed so many things.  It was at that time that I thought he would talk to me about the third term. When I came out from Obasanjo, it was Adamu Aliero, the then governor of Kebbi, who said that he hoped I was not planning to drive back to Sokoto at that time. I told him that I had secured accommodation and I was spending the night in Birnin Kebbi.  But Obasanjo never discussed his ambition for a third term with me. If he had done, I would have told him also that I was against it. If I could campaign against Abacha’s succession bid why couldn’t I tell Obasanjo if he ever mentioned to me? There was never a time I wanted to see Obasanjo and I couldn’t see him. He was very kind to me.

As the first Nigerian envoy to post-apartheid South Africa, can you compare the political development of that country with that of Nigeria?    

You can’t compare the two countries. One, the African National Congress (ANC) is a disciplined political party. In the past, they used to even execute members of the party if they misbehaved. Even now, some of the things that happen in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can’t possibly take place in the ANC.  Look at their transition process: from Nelson Mandela to Thabo Mbeki, from Mbeki to Jacob Zuma. All rather smooth compared to our rough attitude to doing things. Only recently, I said South Africa has done us proud again. They hosted the earth conference in Johannesburg, the biggest ever conference held, some years back. They hosted the world cup recently. It took them political determination and discipline to succeed. Can you imagine Nigeria hosting the world cup now? You need the resources and discipline.

South Africa is the biggest economy in Africa. But they are lucky they also have a matured political set up. I remember when I was an ambassador to South Africa; one of the reports I sent was that unless we are careful, South Africa would come and take over our economy. And it is hap-pening. I said after apartheid, they would like to come and say thank you to Nigeria. Mandela indeed paid a special visit to Nigeria. When he was released from prison, the first place he came was Nigeria to thank the country for all the resources made available to the ANC and other liberation movements in Southern Africa.

In fact, that was the first time I met him at the lobby of the Hilton Hotel here in Abuja. It was Emeka Anyaoku, the then deputy secretary of the Commonwealth who introduced me to Mandela when he came to Nigeria after his release from prison. I said that the people of South Africa would come to Nigeria and say thank you for what we have done for them, at the same time, they won’t ignore the size of the Nigerian market. And if they have financial resources and political determination, what else would they need? I think my prognosis has been proven right. Look at them. They are very successful in Nigeria. They are everywhere; look at MTN and so on.

When you came from South Africa to see Abacha, you got a cold shoulder. That was the beginning of a sour relationship between you and him. How sour did it go from that incident?

It went sour to an extent that people had started asking whether I was indeed loyal to the president. Another problem I had was that whenever I meet Mandela, he would say prince; please tell my leader, Sani Abacha to temper justice with mercy and release Obasanjo. I also conveyed this message all the time. This, I believe was part of the problem I was creating for myself. That visit I told you I came to see Abacha, it coincided with the visit of Pope John Paul II. That was why I went to the airport to meet Sani Abacha to give me an appointment.  That was the day the pope was arriving. So, I went there and the pope landed and I joined the queue of dignitaries and I shook hands and had photographs with the pope. I didn’t get any appointment. He only said to me; you are welcome from South Africa.

Later, I had a query from Chief Tom Ikimi saying why were you at the airport? You were not among those scheduled to be receiving the Pope. Tom Ikimi or somebody with the good ears of Sani Abacha must have realised that otherwise, Ikimi would not have contemplated giving me a query knowing my friendship with Abacha.

When we were going to South Africa with Ambassador Babagana Kingibe for Mandela’s inauguration, I flew back with General Abacha. It was during that trip that Abacha told me to go and look for a good foreign minister for him. Ask the Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sheriff. He was there when Abacha said I should go and look for a foreign minister for him. Tom Ikimi was only then   a presidential political adviser. I remember even recommending our friend from Katsina but he ended up picking Tom Ikimi. But Tom Ikimi knowing fully how close I was with Abacha, he wouldn’t have dared give me a query just by my appearance at the airport. There must be other elements that played against me.

Just like you envisioned the invasion of Nigerian markets by South Africa, did you also envision the attack and killing of Nigerians and other African nationals by South Africans?

I know it is most unfortunate but if you remember what we did to Zimbabwe but they wouldn’t have signed an agreement that didn’t allow our airline going to Zimbabwe. For a very long time, Nigeria needs to sit down and say we have done so and so to this and that? What are we getting in return? When we leave until it is too late, there is nothing we can do about it. There are several good Nigerians in South Africa, particularly in their universities.  But as we are having good people, we are equally bound to have bad people who go there and misbehave, thereby giving a bad name to Nigeria. There is no way out. As a Nigerian, if you go to Europe with your green passport, they would be looking at you as a potential drug peddler or 419. This is what is really happening. If Nigerians misbehave, they deserve to be treated that way.

Many people conversant with the Sokoto Sultanate see you as an influential Prince in the Sultanate and perhaps the power behind the throne. You seem to have irreconcilable differences with the former Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki.  

Is it new to have quarrels in the family? Or don’t you have misunderstanding between you and your wife? It was a long story but my disagreement with Dasuki was that he wanted to transfer me from Wurno to a less important district and that is why I resigned.

Sultan Dasuki’s attempt to transfer you from Wurno to Dange was it in anyway related to your reported opposition to his appointment as the Sultan?

Whatever happened, I was always supporting Muhammad Maccido. This is because his father, Sultan Abubakar III, was my father’s older brother. And from the age of seven, Sultan Abubakar took me away from my own father and took me to elementary school, to colleges in Nigeria and also took his own money to send me to the United Kingdom for further studies.

He gave me a cheque on his bank account in Zaria for 400 pounds. He gave me the cheque in Sokoto and sent me to Zaria, to remove the money and take it to Kaduna to the late Ahmadu Bello, Sardaunan Sokoto, who was then organising my trip to the UK for further studies. When I went to the bank manager, who was a Briton, he said that I was too much young boy to be given that money. I had to see Iyan Zazzau Aminu, the district head of Sabongari, who later became the emir of Zazzau to accompany me to the bank and identify me to the manager as the son of the Sultan of Sokoto.

After that, wherever Sultan Abubakar goes he was always with me both in Nigeria and abroad.  Why shouldn’t I support his sons? I have no reason not to support his family. I have always supported Maccido under whatever circumstances. Of course, other princes, not only Dasuki were not happy. That is the genesis, perhaps, of the disagreement.

Also, when Sultan Maccido died in a plane crash you were said to be in Paris but quickly joined the available flight to return home when you learnt that Dasuki was strategising to stage   a comeback or install one of his sons as the Sultan. Was it true that the power game changed immediately upon your return and Sa’ad Abubakar III emerged as the Sultan?

So you got your agents trailing me? I was in London when Sultan Maccido died. My son was to leave Abuja for the British International School, Lome. And one of the sons of Maccido, Aliyu took my son to the Abuja airport for him to catch a flight to Lagos, then to Lome. So, Aliyu, son of Maccido and Sultan Maccido was there. Aliyu left my son with Sultan Maccido at the airport. He then drove straight to my wife, who was also here in Abuja.  He was there with my wife when he got a call from the airport that the plane that took off to Sokoto had crashed.

I was in London when my wife called to tell me what had happened. I called Aliyu who told me that he was driving back to the airport to confirm. I was in London when it was confirmed that he died. Rather than wait for the British Airways that comes straight to Abuja, I bought a ticket to fly to Paris after I found out that there was an airline flying to Niamey, Niger Republic.  I flew from London to Paris, then to Niamey and drove to Sokoto. That was how I arrived Sokoto the following morning. That was what happened.

 And the succession battle was changed to your favour when you defeated Dasuki again by installing Sa’ad, the son of the late Sultan Abubakar III?    

Yes. The incumbent Sultan of Sokoto, I was the one, who his father, the late Sultan Abubakar asked to drive him to Kaduna to join the military. I drove him to Kaduna and handed him over to General Jalo. This was because the Sultan wanted him to join the military. At that time, at the Sultanate, there was that policy that our children should enlist both in the military and police. That was why Shehu Shagari took his son, Bala to the military. That was how I enlisted Sultan Sa’ad in the military.

You have been supporting Sultans. As a prince, did you ever try to be one?

I have never in my life prayed to the Almighty to make me a sultan.

Why?

But the sultan made me a sultan without a throne. This is because during the time of Sultan Abubakar, you never heard of any prince in Sokoto apart from Shehu Malami. During Sultan Maccido’s time, you never heard of any prince of Sokoto other than Shehu Malami. Even now, you people wrote prince of Sokoto. So the Almighty answered my prayers. I always ask the Almighty to do what is best for me.

Are you on talking terms with the former Sultan Dasuki?

There is nothing in common between us.  But if I meet him somewhere, I have to greet him. He lives in Kaduna, I live in Sokoto.

Is this still the old problem?

No. You see, the emirs in the North asked me to go and kneel before him and say baba forgive me. I did.

Did he forgive you?

Subsequent events proved otherwise.

His continuous grudge against you is also lending credence to your alleged involvement in his deposition as sultan by the late Abacha, who was your good friend. How realistic is that?

I was very close to Abacha there is no doubt about it. But I don’t see any reason why if he does something wrong, he shouldn’t be punished. Sani Abacha was a disciplinarian he should know that. That was why he hanged the Ogoni nine. Abacha was a disciplinarian. If you do something wrong, you are in trouble.

What exactly did Sultan Dasuki do that earned him the sack?

I don’t know. Ask him.

The general feeling was that you were close to Abacha and something must have happened that you cashed in on?

No. Abacha didn’t fight Dasuki on my behalf. There must be other things that went wrong between the two of them.  I assure you that Abacha was a disciplinarian; if you do something wrong, it will be very difficult for him to forget.  But I am absolutely sure that it was not because of me. If it was because of me, he would have discharged him and made me Sultan. But he didn’t.