Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s allegation that he bribed the late Ghali Umar Na’Abba to impeach him as politically motivated, aimed at boosting the electoral fortunes of Obasanjo’s preferred candidate in 2027 election.
The former president had said Atiku convinced the late speaker that he (Obasanjo) should serve only one term as president and encouraged him to commence impeachment proceedings.
“Na’Abba’s impeachment began at the presidency by the vice-president, who on a Friday when I was out of the office, invited Na’Abba to his office and convinced him, as he had convinced himself and some others but of insignificant number, that I should have only one term as President.
“On the Friday, Atiku invited Na’Abba; he gave him N5 million to begin his impeachment work. It was all noted, recorded and reported to me by my chief of staff, a professional intelligence officer,” Obasanjo said.
Responding in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku dismissed Obasanjo’s claims as a desperate attempt to rewrite history and confer political advantage on his preferred candidate ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He questioned why his former principal chose to make the allegation only after Na’Abba’s death, arguing that this denied Nigerians the opportunity to hear the other side of the story.
He said: “Coming at a time when the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election is taking shape, the obvious objective is to besmirch my person and reputation and confer an undeserved political advantage on the former President’s kinsman. through allegations that can no longer be tested because the principal witness is no longer alive.”
On Thursday, Obasanjo alleged that Atiku gave the late Ghali Umar Na’Abba, former speaker of the house of representatives, N5 million to begin impeachment proceedings against him during his first term in office.
He made the allegation while responding to comments by Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun, on the political developments that preceded the 2003 general election.
The ex-president maintained that the impeachment plot was initiated from within the presidency after Atiku allegedly held a private meeting with Na’Abba.
He said Atiku had convinced the late speaker that he (Obasanjo) should serve only one term as president and encouraged him to commence impeachment proceedings.
“Na’Abba’s impeachment began at the presidency by the vice-president, who on a Friday when I was out of the office, invited Na’Abba to his office and convinced him, as he had convinced himself and some others but of insignificant number, that I should have only one term as president,” Obasanjo said.
“On the Friday, Atiku invited Na’Abba; he gave him N5 million to begin his impeachment work. It was all noted, recorded and reported to me by my chief of staff, a professional intelligence officer.”
Atiku responded by saying it is difficult to ignore the political timing of the recycled allegations, which according to him, are not supported by any judicial finding or official determination.
“Coming at a time when the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election is taking shape, the obvious objective is to besmirch my person and reputation and confer an undeserved political advantage on the former President’s kinsman.
“Nigerians, however, know better. They are too discerning to be distracted by stale allegations resurrected for political convenience,” he said.
He argued that the fresh hostility stemmed from his opposition to the former president’s third term agenda during their time in office.
According to him, “My offence was that I stood firmly against the unconstitutional third-term agenda.
“As a democrat, I chose the path of constitutionalism and the rule of law. Rather than surrender democratic principles on the altar of personal ambition, I defended the Constitution and successfully asserted my rights through the courts in a series of landmark legal victories against a sitting President.
“Those battles are now part of Nigeria’s democratic history. It is evident that the bitterness arising from that defining period has failed to leave former President Obasanjo.”
Atiku said he would not be distracted into exchanging words over historical political disputes while Nigeria grapples with unprecedented economic hardship, rising insecurity, mass unemployment, hunger and disturbing questions surrounding the management of public resources.
He added that while Obasanjo is entitled to support any candidate of his choice, he should do so openly.
“If former President Obasanjo has chosen to take a political position ahead of 2027, he should simply declare it and allow Nigerians to judge it on its merits, rather than attempting to influence public opinion through allegations that can no longer be tested because the principal witness is no longer alive.
“Our focus remains unwavering: offering credible alternatives, defending democracy, demanding accountability and working with all patriotic Nigerians to restore competent, transparent and people-centred leadership to our country. Nigerians deserve solutions to today’s problems, not recycled political tales from yesterday,” he said.
