Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has accused his former deputy, Atiku Abubakar, of funding a ₦5 million impeachment scheme intended to oust him during his first term. Obasanjo’s assertion came in response to comments from former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba regarding the political climate around the 2003 elections.
He claimed the impeachment efforts originated within the Presidency, aiming to cut short his constitutionally mandated tenure.
Obasanjo recounted that then House Speaker, Ghali Na’Abba, was supposedly pushed to launch impeachment proceedings after meeting with Atiku while Obasanjo was absent from the Presidential Villa.
He alleged that Atiku facilitated this with ₦5 million, information reportedly passed to him by his Chief of Staff, noted as a skilled intelligence officer.
Further accusations by Obasanjo suggested that the impeachment push was fueled by political ambition, with Atiku allegedly seeking to take over the presidency prematurely.
Obasanjo decided not to let this purported plot sidetrack him, convinced there was no valid reason for his impeachment, and remained committed to leading the country.
These allegations add a new chapter to the ongoing friction between the two former leaders, whose relationship soured significantly during Obasanjo’s second term. Their disputes eventually became public, influencing Nigeria’s political scene for years to come.
As of now, Atiku Abubakar has not made a public response to Obasanjo’s latest claims. The allegations are expected to stir debates on the political dynamics of Obasanjo’s administration and the turbulent power struggles within the People‘s Democratic Party (PDP) during the initial years of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
