Post by TheCable (@thecableng)

SIMON KOLAWOLE: "Strange but true: General Abdulsalami Abubakar would never have been Nigeria’s head of state if not for depression. You heard me right. After finishing at the Provincial Secondary School, Bida, in 1962, he got admission into the Technical College, Kaduna, but, having also attended an interview for the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC) — now known as the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) — he opted for a military career and was enlisted into the newly formed Nigerian Air Force in 1963. He was sent for training in Germany, where everything was going smoothly with his flight lessons until he had depression. He was forced to drop out as he could not take part in the final round of training. But another door opened: he returned to Nigeria and transferred to the Nigerian Army. In Nigeria’s history, only the army produced military heads of state. If he had not dropped out of the air force, he would never have been head of state. It so happened that when Gen Sani Abacha, the head of state, died suddenly on June 8, 1998, Abdulsalami was chosen by the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC), Nigeria’s highest ruling body, as his successor. He went on to organise the transition to civil rule in record time, leading to the birth of the fourth republic in May 1999. Nigeria has now practised democracy non-stop for 27 years. Until now, the longest spell was six years, from 1960 to 1966." https://www.thecable.ng/depression-to-destiny-the-abdulsalami-story/

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