Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of resurrecting what he described as false allegations against him to undermine his political standing and favour a preferred candidate ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said Obasanjo’s latest claim that he bribed the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to initiate impeachment proceedings against him was politically motivated and unsupported by evidence.
He argued that the allegation was unfair because the late Na’Abba was no longer alive to confirm or deny the claim.
“As Africans, we understand the solemn duty of speaking truthfully about the dead. 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,” Atiku said.
He questioned why the allegation was never made while the former Speaker was alive.
“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?” he asked.
According to Atiku, accusing a deceased person of participating in such a serious act without giving him the opportunity to respond was unjust and contrary to African values.
He also noted that the allegation had never been established by any court or official investigation.
“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.
The former vice president further alleged that the timing of Obasanjo’s remarks, as political activities ahead of the 2027 general election gather momentum, was aimed at damaging his reputation while benefiting the former president’s preferred candidate.
“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,” Atiku said.
He maintained that his relationship with Obasanjo deteriorated because of his opposition to the former president’s alleged 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.
Atiku said he would not be distracted by what he described as attempts to revisit political disputes that occurred more than two decades ago while Nigerians grapple with pressing economic and security challenges.
“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 Obasanjo was free to support any candidate of his choice for the 2027 election but urged him to do so openly instead of reviving allegations that could no longer be tested.
“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,” Atiku added.
Obasanjo had, in a letter to former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba, alleged that Atiku orchestrated an impeachment plot against his administration by giving the late Na’Abba N5 million to commence impeachment proceedings after concluding that the former president should serve only one term.
The former president also claimed the alleged impeachment move originated from within the Presidency during their time in office.
FOLLOW US
