Obasanjo Credits God’s Grace For Surviving Abacha’s Plot To Kill Him At Noah’s Ark Dedication

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has shared how he survived what he described as a deadly plot by the late former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, to eliminate him following his arrest alongside General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. He credited his survival to the special grace of God.

Speaking last weekend at Ogbor Uvuru in Aboh Mbaise, Imo State, during the commissioning of the new Assemblies of God Church named “The Noah’s Ark”—a grand structure donated by philanthropist and Kingdom investor Obioma Success Akagburuonye—Obasanjo revealed that Abacha had boasted none of the three detainees would leave prison alive, enabling him to remain in power indefinitely.

Obasanjo recounted, “When I was arrested, the man who arrested me, I thought he was making a mistake. He had decided that some of us must be liquidated if he was to stay in power permanently. At first, I was confused—I hadn’t done anything wrong. Was it a mistake?

“When I realized it wasn’t, I turned to prayers, including one inspired by Stephen’s prayer in the Bible, but I amended it to say: whether they know what they are doing or not, God forgive them.

“The man who arrested us openly boasted that three of us—MKO Abiola, Shehu Yar’Adua, and I—would not come out alive. Two of the three didn’t survive, but I did—not by my power, but by God’s special grace.”

He went on to say, “If anyone can claim to have experienced God’s amazing grace, it is me. God has been truly gracious and protective over my life.”

Obasanjo also recalled attending a course in Ghana in 1959 with nine Nigerians; today, only two remain alive. “I’m not mocking those who have passed on—may their souls rest in peace—but this shows God’s grace in my life. It’s not that I’m better than them. All I can do is continue to thank God.”

He praised Chief Success Akagburuonye, likening the grace upon his life to his own, for investing in God’s Kingdom by building the impressive Noah’s Ark church.

Obasanjo also honored Akagburuonye’s 104-year-old mother, kneeling before her to receive the blessing of long life.

The Noah’s Ark church, modeled after the Biblical ark in design and spirit, was officially dedicated on Saturday, May 24, 2025. The event attracted a large crowd including dignitaries such as Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Rev. Dr. Sarah Seoh from Los Angeles, Rev. Abel Ukachi Amadi (General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church Nigeria), traditional rulers, industry leaders, and political figures.