Atiku: Obasanjo fabricated allegations against me to favour his kinsman in 2027

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has rejected recent allegations made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, accusing him of attempting to rewrite history and influence the political landscape ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described Obasanjo’s claim that he bribed the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to initiate impeachment proceedings against him as baseless and unfair.

According to Atiku, it was troubling that the allegation surfaced only after Na’Abba’s death, leaving the former Speaker unable 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,” the statement read.

The former vice president questioned why the allegation was never made while Na’Abba 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.

Atiku argued that invoking the name of a deceased person as the central witness in such a serious allegation deprived Nigerians of the opportunity to hear the other side of the story and was unfair to the late lawmaker’s memory.

He also maintained that the allegation was not backed by any judicial ruling or official finding.

According to him, if there had been credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the administration at the time possessed the constitutional authority to investigate and prosecute the matter.

Atiku further suggested that the timing of the allegation indicated a political motive.

He claimed the renewed accusation was intended to tarnish his reputation and create an unfair political advantage for what he described as Obasanjo’s preferred candidate in the 2027 presidential 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.

The former vice president also revisited his long-standing disagreement with Obasanjo, insisting that their political differences stemmed from 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,” Atiku stated.

He added that he successfully challenged actions taken against him during that period through the courts, describing the legal battles as significant milestones in Nigeria’s democratic history.

Atiku said he would not be drawn into prolonged exchanges over historical political disputes while Nigerians continue to grapple with economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and rising public debt.

According to him, the country’s priority should be addressing current national challenges rather than revisiting political disagreements from more than two decades ago.

He also said that while Obasanjo has every right to support any candidate ahead of the 2027 elections, he should do so openly rather than rely on allegations that cannot be independently verified because the principal witness is no longer alive.

Atiku reaffirmed his commitment to promoting democratic values, accountability and what he described as credible alternatives aimed at addressing Nigeria’s present challenges.

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