Atiku Accuses Obasanjo of 20-Year Campaign of Lies and Deceit

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo of orchestrating a two-decade campaign of "lies, political manipulation and orchestrated deceit" against him. Abubakar's media adviser, Paul Ibe, responded to Obasanjo's recent allegation that Abubakar had mobilized the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, to remove Obasanjo from office during their tenure from 1999 to 2007.

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lies, political manipulation and orchestrated deceit

Ibe stated that Obasanjo's claims have become a recurring pattern, often resurfacing during election cycles. He described the latest allegation, made about the late Na’Abba who passed away in 2023, as malicious and impossible to verify due to Na’Abba's inability to respond.

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This time, he chose to make a man who passed away nearly three years ago the subject of his baseless allegation.

To counter Obasanjo's narrative, Abubakar's camp presented accounts from other political figures. Former House of Representatives Chief Whip Abubakar Bwari, who served during the 1999-2007 sessions, reportedly stated that Na’Abba never sought Obasanjo's removal. Bwari instead suggested that Abubakar acted as an emissary for Obasanjo to lawmakers.

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Atiku knelt down; we were like 17 governors. He knelt down for us and said that he does not want to be disloyal to Obasanjo. That four years is like four days.

Furthermore, the Abubakar camp referenced a video featuring former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu. Kalu allegedly recounted that it was Atiku Abubakar who sought the support of PDP governors for Obasanjo's re-election in 2003, even kneeling to secure their backing. Kalu also reportedly said that PDP governors had made arrangements for Abubakar to become president, but Abubakar declined to betray Obasanjo, who had appointed him vice president.

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Atiku was almost a President. We had gotten everyone to postpone the (PDP) convention and had gotten what we needed to move forward, but he (Atiku) said this man (Obasanjo) trusted him, and allowed him to work with him. That he cannot betray Obasanjo.