Chief Ayo Opadokun has denied the allegations that himself and some prominent leaders of Yoruba extraction collected bribe from the killers of MKO Abiola.
He also described Al-Mustapha Hamza (retd.), a former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, who made the allegation as a “pathological liar,” adding that he had made a similar allegation in the past and had recanted.
Opadokun, the Secretary of the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), told The PUNCH in a telephone conversation that “the pro-democracy group was invited for a discussion on how to move the country forward about five days after Abiola’s death.
“No money was offered and that they could not have collected any even if it was offered.
“Two years ago, this Al-Mustapha made the same allegation against us when he was facing criminal trial for the murder of Kudirat Abiola and when I castigated him, he recanted. He is a pathological liar who should be ignored; he is just seeking attention.
“He has not shown anybody any evidence till tomorrow. Let him present his so-called video to Nigerians. He said so two years ago and he has not shown anything to anybody now; he wants to be heard.”
Asked if he was at the Villa with some other Yoruba leaders the following day Abiola died, Opadokun said, “No! No! No! Look, we were invited by Gen. Abubakar Abdulsalami five days after I was released from prison. Five of us were invited: (the late) Chief Bola Ige, (the late) Senator Abraham Adesanya, (the late) Senator Francis Okpozo; and Dr. Arthur Nwankwo.
“We were invited and he made the same allegation that we were frowning when we got there to see Gen. Abdulsalami and that when we finished, we were laughing because we had been bribed. But two years ago, he recanted that he didn’t say so, so he should be ignored because he is seeking attention.
“He (Abdulsalami) was consulting with critical pressure groups in the country for a way forward and we presented him with a programme of action suggesting that he should form a government of national unity.”
And when asked whether he and the others were given money on that occasion, Opadokun said, “No! No! No! We never did (collect money). Nothing like that could have happened; we never would have accepted.
“I was in Ikoyi Prison when Abacha died and I was released about seven days after. It was after five days after I was released that Abdulsalami invited NADECO leaders for consultation as he had invited others, so it is a lie. It was in Abuja and it was during the day.
“You should ask where Al-Mustapha was at that time. Because of insubordination and disrespect to his boss, as soon as Abacha died, he was sent to Enugu; so we were told. So where was he?”
Opadokun said he did not see Al-Mustapha when he and the other NADECO chieftains were at the Villa to see Abdulsalami,
“No, he couldn’t have been (there),” he said.
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