Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has alleged that his former deputy, Atiku Abubakar, provided ₦5 million to support an impeachment move against him during his first term in office, claiming the plot was part of an effort to seize power.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of financing an impeachment plot against him during his first term in office, alleging that Atiku provided ₦5 million to then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, to initiate the process.
Obasanjo made the allegation in a lengthy response to former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba, who had accused him of misleading leaders of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD) ahead of the 2003 general election.
‘He Gave Him ₦5 Million’ — Obasanjo
According to Obasanjo, the impeachment campaign originated from within his administration after Atiku allegedly became convinced that he should not seek a second term.
The former president claimed that while he was away from the Presidential Villa, Atiku invited then Speaker Ghali Na’Abba to his office and encouraged him to commence impeachment proceedings.
“He gave him five million naira to begin his impeachment work. It was all noted, recorded and reported to me by my Chief of Staff,” Obasanjo alleged.
Obasanjo further claimed that intelligence reports available to him at the time documented the alleged political manoeuvres.
Response to Osoba’s Claims
The allegations formed part of Obasanjo’s rebuttal to an article written by former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba, who had claimed the former president deceived Yoruba political leaders before the 2003 elections.
Rejecting the accusation, Obasanjo insisted he never misled the leadership of the Alliance for Democracy or Afenifere.
He argued that many of the political negotiations surrounding the 2003 elections took place at levels that Osoba was not privy to.
Long History of Political Rift
The latest allegations revive the long-running political feud between Obasanjo and Atiku, who served together as President and Vice President from 1999 to 2007.
Their relationship deteriorated during Obasanjo’s second term amid disagreements over succession politics and constitutional amendments, eventually leading to Atiku’s departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2007 election.
No Immediate Response from Atiku
As of the time of filing this report, Atiku Abubakar had not publicly responded to Obasanjo’s latest allegations.
The claims remain those of the former president and have not been independently substantiated by documentary evidence released to the public.