Abuja, Nigeria — Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has revealed that Nigeria’s military administration deliberately relaxed political party registration rules in 1999 to allow the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to participate in the transition to civilian rule, despite initially failing to meet the required conditions.
Abdulsalami made the disclosure in his autobiography Call of Duty, where he recounted how his government adjusted strict party registration guidelines to ensure inclusiveness and national unity ahead of Nigeria’s return to democracy.
He explained that the transition framework originally required political parties to meet stringent conditions, including nationwide presence and operational structures across the federation, to qualify for registration.
According to him, only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Peoples Party (APP) initially met the criteria after screening.
“As projected, the AD eventually didn’t meet the criteria for the registration of political parties. We tinkered with the rules and said any party that came third would be registered. That was how AD scaled through,” he wrote.
Abdulsalami said the decision to make an exception for the AD was driven by the need to prevent political marginalisation of the South-West, following tensions linked to the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.
“We did not want to create a system in which the South-West would feel marginalised. Whatever decision we took was for the peace and progress of the country,” he added.
He further stressed that the rules governing the transition were not rigid and could be adjusted in the interest of peace, justice and national cohesion.
“The rules were made by humans and for humans. If tinkering with the rules would give respite to Nigerians, why not?” Abdulsalami stated.
Nigeria’s transition to civilian rule was completed on May 29, 1999, ushering in the Fourth Republic with the PDP, APP and AD emerging as the three political parties that participated in the landmark elections.
The revelation offers rare insight into the behind-the-scenes political adjustments that shaped Nigeria’s return to democracy after years of military rule.
