Atiku says Obasanjo waited until Na’Abba’s death to make the allegation, calling it a politically motivated attack ahead of 2027

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied allegations by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that he gave N5 million to former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, to initiate impeachment proceedings against Obasanjo during their time in office.

Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said he could not have orchestrated any impeachment plot against Obasanjo, under whom he served as vice president between 1999 and 2007. His denial was contained in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, titled “The Grave Is Not a Witness Box.”

What Obasanjo alleged against Atiku

Obasanjo had, on Thursday, in a letter responding to comments by former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba on political developments preceding the 2003 general election, alleged that Atiku gave Na’Abba N5 million to commence impeachment proceedings against him during his first term.

Obasanjo further alleged that his then deputy invited Na’Abba to the vice president’s office on a Friday while Obasanjo was away, and 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… that I should have only one term as President,” Obasanjo said.

Atiku questions the timing of the allegation

Responding, Atiku questioned why Obasanjo waited until after Na’Abba’s death to make the allegation.

“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,” the statement read.

Atiku challenged Obasanjo to provide 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.

He described the timing of the allegation, coming as political activities ahead of the 2027 general election gather momentum, as an attempt to damage his political standing.

“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,” he said, adding that his historic opposition to Obasanjo stemmed from resisting what he described as an unconstitutional third-term agenda.

Atiku urged Obasanjo to openly declare his preferred candidate for 2027 rather than “attempting to influence public opinion through allegations that can no longer be tested.”

He said his focus remained on offering solutions to Nigeria’s current economic and security challenges rather than revisiting political disputes from more than two decades ago.

Background to the Obasanjo-Na’Abba impeachment saga

Na’Abba served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003 under the Peoples Democratic Party, representing Kano Municipal Federal Constituency.

His House had several confrontations with the Obasanjo executive over legislative independence, culminating in an August 2002 motion giving Obasanjo two weeks to resign or face impeachment, over allegations including unimplemented budgets and unauthorised military actions in Odi and Zaki Ibiam.

The Senate backed the House’s move on 27 August 2002, but the process was halted following the intervention of former heads of state Shehu Shagari and Yakubu Gowon. Na’Abba lost his re-election bid in 2003 and died in Abuja on 27 December 2023, aged 65.