Atiku denies bribing ex-Speaker Na’Abba to impeach Obasanjo

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has vehemently denied accusations that he offered N5 million to the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, to initiate impeachment proceedings against former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

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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.

Obasanjo had made the allegation in a letter, claiming Atiku sought to bribe Na’Abba during their time in office and also pressured him to serve only one term. Atiku, who served as Vice President under Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007, dismissed the claims as baseless and politically motivated.

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The late Rt. Hon. Ghali Na’Abba cannot now defend his own integrity or respond to the allegation that he accepted a bribe. It is unfair to his memory and contrary to our cultural values to conscript the dead into contemporary political battles when they no longer have a voice.

In a statement issued Friday, Atiku questioned the timing and validity of Obasanjo’s accusations, particularly noting that they were made after Na’Abba’s passing. "If this allegation were true, why did he never make it while Rt. Hon. Na’Abba was alive?" Atiku asked, suggesting Obasanjo denied Nigerians the chance to hear Na’Abba's side of the story. He argued that invoking a deceased individual to support a serious allegation was unfair to his memory and contrary to cultural values.

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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.

Atiku challenged Obasanjo to provide evidence and urged Nigerians to demand proof. He also suggested the allegations were a political maneuver aimed at damaging his reputation ahead of the 2027 general 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," the statement read.

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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. Nigerians, however, know better.