Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has alleged that his former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, gave the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, N5 million to commence impeachment proceedings against him.
Obasanjo made the revelation while responding to former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba’s account of political events leading to the 2003 general elections. He rejected Osoba’s claims that he deceived the Alliance for Democracy leadership.
How the impeachment plot unfolded
According to Obasanjo, the alleged plot began while he was away from the office on a Friday. Atiku invited Na’Abba to his office that day. He convinced him that Obasanjo should serve only one term as President.
“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.
“From the first day as Vice-President, he raised campaigners for his presidency,” he added. “On the Friday, he invited Na’Abba; he gave him N5 million to begin his impeachment work.”
Obasanjo treated plot with contempt
The former President said the game continued to play out while he treated it with contempt. He insisted he had committed no impeachable offence.
“It was all noted, recorded and reported to me by my Chief of Staff, a professional intelligence officer,” Obasanjo stated.
He said President Shagari later requested permission to handle the matter. Obasanjo gave him the go-ahead.
Atiku’s two-track approach after failed plot
Obasanjo further alleged that after the impeachment bid failed, Atiku pursued another political arrangement. This involved the six AD governors.
“When he failed in the impeachment exercise, he made a two-track approach,” Obasanjo said. “One to go with Alex Ekwueme and Alex to hand over to him in the third year of his presidency; second is for the six AD governors of South-West not to have competition from any other party in 2003 so that in 2007, you would all yield the field to my Vice-President.”
“You were all convinced of this anti-democratic plan, and you all fell for it,” he added.
Obasanjo defends 2003 election outcomes
The former President also defended the outcome of the controversial 2003 governorship elections in the South-West. He maintained that the defeats suffered by the AD governors reflected the mood of the electorate.
“Your loss or defeat in 2003 was genuine in all the six states except the one where the figures were successfully and murderously changed,” Obasanjo alleged.
Despite the sharp criticism, Obasanjo praised Osoba for allocating the land for the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.
“The greatest service you rendered for me and for Abeokuta is the land allocated for the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library,” he said. “It has become the most significant landmark in Abeokuta.”
Read also: ‘You can’t fail to govern people well and still want re-election,’ says Obasanjo
