TheCable

Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state, says he rehabilitated ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo after he was released from prison in 1998.

Obasanjo was jailed by the late Sani Abacha, former military ruler.

Abdulsalami took over power after the death of Abacha in 1998 and subsequently released Obasanjo and some other prisoners.

Obasanjo will later be president after elections were conducted in 1999.

In an interview with TRUST TV, the former head of state said after Obasanjo was released from prison he threatened to go to court because his business had crumbled.

“We released Obasanjo and other prisoners and pardoned them,” he said.

“So, when Obasanjo was released he came to see me, saying he was going to take the government to court. Why are you going to do that?”

He said the former president did not institute any legal action after he pleaded with him.

“‘Sir, please let bygones be bygones, thank God you are alive today, forget about these things. Some of the issues you mentioned [are] within my power I will look into that’, so we left it at that,” Abubakar said.

“Like I had all other prisoners! What do you mean by I had to rehabilitate him?

“Of course not only him, all people that were imprisoned in one way or the other, we tried to rehabilitate them; to help them in one way or the other.

“In one way or the other we did what we could to assist them, so you cannot equate that to bringing him to contest for an election.”