Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly rejected claims made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo alleging that Atiku bribed the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to initiate impeachment proceedings against Obasanjo during their administration.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused Obasanjo of attempting to rewrite history and leveraging the memory of a deceased public figure for political advantage.
Responding to Obasanjo’s recent remarks, Atiku questioned why the bribery allegations were never raised while Na’Abba was still alive to respond or clarify his role.
He emphasized that invoking a deceased individual as a central witness deprives the public of hearing both sides of the story, describing the act as unfair to Na’Abba’s legacy and inconsistent with cultural values regarding respect for the deceased.
He further pointed out that no formal legal action was ever taken at the time to substantiate the claim.
Atiku characterized the revival of the decades-old allegations as a calculated attempt to influence public perception as political alignments take shape ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
He linked the persistent rift between both figures to his past opposition to the proposed third-term constitutional amendment during Obasanjo’s tenure, maintaining that his stance was aimed at protecting constitutional governance through established legal channels.
Urging political leaders to redirect their focus toward pressing contemporary issues affecting citizens such as rising food prices, growing public debt, and governance challenges Atiku stated that while former leaders are entitled to express political preferences, such positions should be declared transparently rather than through unsubstantiated claims involving individuals who can no longer defend themselves.
