A fresh war of words has erupted between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over allegations surrounding an alleged impeachment plot during the Obasanjo administration.
Obasanjo alleged that Atiku gave the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, ₦5 million to initiate impeachment proceedings against him during his first term in office.
The former president made the claim while responding to remarks by former Ogun State governor, Olusegun Osoba, on the political developments leading up to the 2003 general election.
According to Obasanjo, the alleged impeachment plot originated within the presidency after Atiku held a private meeting with Na’Abba.
He claimed that the former vice-president persuaded the late speaker that he should serve only one term as president and encouraged him to begin 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 ₦5 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 the alleged meeting and financial transaction were documented and reported to him by his chief of staff, whom he described as a professional intelligence officer.
He added that he was not troubled by the impeachment threat because he believed there were no constitutional grounds for his removal from office.
Atiku dismisses allegation
Reacting in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku faulted Obasanjo for making the allegation after Na’Abba’s death, arguing that the former speaker was no longer alive to defend himself.
“As Africans, we understand the solemn duty of speaking truthfully about the dead,” the statement reads.
“It is therefore deeply troubling that former President Obasanjo has chosen this moment to allege that I gave the late Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba a bribe to impeach him.
“If this allegation were true, why did he never make it while Rt. Hon. Na’Abba was alive? Why wait until the only man who could confirm or refute the claim has departed this world?
“By invoking a deceased man as the principal witness to such a grave allegation, former President Obasanjo has denied Nigerians the opportunity of hearing the other side of the story.”
Atiku said the allegation was unfair to Na’Abba’s memory because the former speaker could no longer defend his integrity or respond to claims that he accepted a bribe.
The former vice-president also questioned why no legal action was taken against him if there had been evidence to support the allegation.
“If there was indeed evidence of any criminal conduct as alleged, Nigerians are entitled to ask why no action was taken at the time by a government that wielded the full powers of the Nigerian state,” he said.
Atiku argued that the timing of Obasanjo’s claim suggested an attempt to damage his reputation and give political advantage to the former president’s preferred candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.
“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.”
The former vice-president further maintained that Obasanjo’s continued hostility towards him stemmed from his opposition to the former president’s failed third-term agenda.
“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,” he stated.
“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.”
‘Nigerians deserve solutions’
Atiku said he would not be distracted by political disputes dating back more than two decades while Nigerians continued to grapple with economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and rising public debt.
“The task before leaders today is not to rewrite history but to rescue the future. Nigerians are more interested in knowing why food prices continue to soar, why public debt continues to rise despite increased revenues, and why scandal after scandal continues to trail the current administration than in revisiting political disagreements from over two decades ago,” he said.
He added that although Obasanjo was free to support any candidate of his choice ahead of the 2027 election, he should do so openly rather than relying on allegations that could no longer be tested because the principal witness was dead.
“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.”
