Political Firestorm: Atiku, Obasanjo Clash Over Late Speaker Na’Abba, Old Allegations Resurface!

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has made serious allegations against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, claiming that Atiku financed an attempt to impeach him during his first term in office. Obasanjo stated that Atiku provided ₦5 million to the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, to initiate impeachment proceedings. These allegations arose in response to comments made by former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba, concerning political developments leading up to the 2003 general elections. Obasanjo detailed that the impeachment plot was orchestrated from within the Presidency by Atiku, following a private meeting where Atiku allegedly convinced Na’Abba that Obasanjo should only serve one term as president.

According to Obasanjo, the plot began on a Friday when he was out of office. Atiku reportedly invited Na’Abba to his office, where he not only persuaded him but also allegedly provided the ₦5 million to commence the impeachment work. Obasanjo asserted that these events, including the alleged financial transaction, were noted, recorded, and reported to him by his Chief of Staff, whom he described as a professional intelligence officer. Despite the alleged threat, Obasanjo maintained that he remained unsettled, believing there were no constitutional grounds for his removal from office. This latest claim reignites the long-standing political rivalry and strained relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku, which has persisted since their joint tenure from 1999 to 2007.

In a swift and strong rebuttal, Atiku Abubakar, through a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, vehemently faulted Obasanjo’s allegations. He described them as a desperate attempt to rewrite history and unfairly confer political advantage on Obasanjo's preferred candidate ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Atiku emphasized the fundamental unfairness of making such grave allegations against the late Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, who is no longer alive to defend himself or confirm/refute the claims. He questioned why Obasanjo waited until Na’Abba’s death to make these allegations, thereby denying Nigerians the opportunity to hear the other side of the story, stating that "The grave is not a witness box."

Atiku further challenged the veracity of the claims by asking why no legal action was taken at the time by a government that "wielded the full powers of the Nigerian state" if there was indeed evidence of criminal conduct. He suggested that the timing of these "recycled allegations" was politically motivated, aimed at "besmirching" his person and reputation as the 2027 political landscape takes shape. Atiku also linked Obasanjo’s enduring hostility towards him to his steadfast opposition to the unconstitutional third-term agenda during their time in office. He asserted that he chose the path of constitutionalism and the rule of law, successfully asserting his rights through landmark legal victories against a sitting president, and that the bitterness from that period has not left Obasanjo.

While acknowledging Obasanjo’s right to support any candidate, Atiku urged him to do so openly, rather than attempting to influence public opinion through allegations that cannot be tested. He stressed that his focus remains on addressing Nigeria’s pressing contemporary issues, such as economic hardship, rising insecurity, unemployment, and questions surrounding public resource management, rather than engaging in historical political disputes. Atiku concluded by stating that Nigerians deserve solutions to today’s problems, not "recycled political tales from on Friday."