Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo of fabricating allegations against him to favour his kinsman ahead of the 2027 general election.
Atiku did not name the kinsman but President Bola Tinubu is a Yoruba like Obasanjo who, incidentally, openly supports Peter Obi, an Igbo and the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
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.
Obasanjo made the allegation while responding to comments by Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun, on the political developments that preceded the 2003 general election.
He claimed that the impeachment plot was initiated from within the presidency after Atiku allegedly held a private meeting with Na’Abba.
The former president 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.”
‘IT’S TO BESMIRCH MY REPUTATION’
Reacting in a statement by Phrank Shaibu, his senior special assistant on public communication, Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said it is difficult to ignore the political timing of the recycled allegations.
“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,” he said.
“Nigerians, however, know better. They are too discerning to be distracted by stale allegations resurrected for political convenience.”
He argued that the fresh hostility stemmed from his opposition to the former president’s third term agenda during their time in office.
“My offence was that I stood firmly against the unconstitutional third-term agenda,” he said.
“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.
tled 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,” he said.
“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.”
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