Former military ruler Abdulsalami Abubakar says he rehabilitated ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo after the latter was released from prison in 1998.
Abubakar freed Obasanjo and other political prisoners who were jailed by the dictator Sani Abacha following his death.
Obasanjo later became president in a democratic system in 1999.
Abubakar told Trust TV in an interview that he helped get Obasanjo on his feet when Obasanjo threatened to sue the government because his business had crumbled.
“We released Obasanjo and other prisoners and pardoned them. 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?’” Abubakar said.
He claimed to have told Obasanjo not to take legal action against the military government at that time.
“‘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,” he said.
Asked if he rehabilitated Obasanjo to enable him contest the election in 1999, Abubakar retorted, “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.”
Abubakar, who is the chairman of the national peace committee, said he advised Obasanjo against contesting for the presidency at the time.
