Former Chief Whip, House of Reps, Disagrees with Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Ghali Naaba

Alhaji Abubakar Bawa Bwari, who served as the Chief Whip in Nigeria's House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007, has contested former President Olusegun Obasanjo's assertion that the late Speaker, Alhaji Ghali Naaba, received N5 million to orchestrate Obasanjo's removal.

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Does a grave injustice to the memory of our late former speaker and my dear friend.

Bwari stated that Obasanjo's claim "does a grave injustice to the memory of our late former speaker and my dear friend." He explained that under Nigerian law, a speaker lacks the sole authority to remove a president. Such an action requires a constitutional two-thirds majority vote from the entire House, followed by a concurrent process in the Senate.

"Was this N5 million therefore intended for Ghali alone, or was it meant to be distributed across 360 members of the House and 109 Senators, and Senate President Anyim Pius to purchase a constitutional coup?" Bwari questioned, highlighting the logistical and legal implausibility of the accusation.

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It is trite law that a speaker, no matter how influential, cannot single-handedly remove a president. It requires a constitutional two-thirds majority of the entire House, followed by a rigorous, concurrent process in the Senate.

He defended Naaba's character, describing him as a "sophisticated political scientist" and a "principled institutionalist" who would not engage in "hollow" enterprises. Bwari asserted that Naaba was too committed a democrat for such actions. He recalled instances where the executive, sponsored by the presidency, attempted to impeach Naaba, and that the House leadership was wary of Vice President Atiku Abubakar, viewing him as Obasanjo's envoy rather than an ally.

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Was this N5 million therefore intended for Ghali alone, or was it meant to be distributed across 360 members of the House and 109 Senators, and Senate President Anyim Pius to purchase a constitutional coup?

Bwari concluded by emphasizing that Ghali Na'Abba's battles with the executive stemmed from a devotion to the separation of powers and the independence of the legislature, not personal or transactional motives. Na'Abba, he argued, fought for constitutional integrity to ensure Nigerian democracy's survival.

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It is trite law that a speaker, no matter how influential, cannot single-handedly remove a president. It requires a constitutional two-thirds majority of the entire House, followed by a rigorous, concurrent process in the Senate.