HOW YAR'ADUA TOLD ME TO STEP DOWN FOR MKO ABIOLA-ATIKU. (PHOTO).

 How Yar’adua told me to step down for MKO Abiola – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubukar has recalled how he was ordered by his late political mentor, Shehu Musa Yar’adua, to step down for MKO Abiola.

Speaking in an interview with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie of Untold Stories, Atiku revealed that Yar’adua gave him the instruction during the Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries in the 1993 presidential election.

According to Atiku, SDP governors threatened to withdraw their support if Abiola picked him instead of Babagana Kingibe.

Atiku shared, “I think there have been some misinterpretation or misrepresentation of what actually happened, even though I had in the past addressed the circumstances surrounding that incident.

“So I told him, ‘Look, if you don’t come to Jos, there is every likelihood that Kingibe is going to be elected, and I know you don’t want it. So you better come to Jos, no matter how late.’

“And he drove all the way from Kaduna to Jos. By the time he came to Jos, it was about three or four a.m. And he called for a meeting in Kwande’s house. I do not know what he discussed with the late MKO Abiola.

“I was not privy to the meeting, and he did not tell me. But when we got to the meeting in Ambassador Kwande’s house, all he told me was that, ‘Turaki.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’

“He said, ‘Step down for MKO Abiola.’ I said, ‘Okay, sir. I have stepped down.”