Obasanjo Alleges Atiku Funded Impeachment Plot With N5m During First Term
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has alleged that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar provided N5 million to fund an impeachment plot against him during his first term in office.
Obasanjo made the claim in response to remarks by former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba on the political events leading up to the 2003 general elections.
In a statement, the former president alleged that the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, was persuaded to begin impeachment proceedings against him following a meeting with Atiku.
According to Obasanjo, “Na’Abba’s impeachment began at the presidency by the Vice-President, who on a Friday when I was out of the office, invited Na’Abba to his office and convinced him, as he had convinced himself and some others, though they were insignificant in number, that I should have only one term as President.”
He further alleged that Atiku backed the move financially by giving the late Speaker N5 million to kick-start the impeachment process.
“On that Friday, Atiku invited Na’Abba; he gave him N5 million to begin his impeachment work. It was all noted, recorded and reported to me by my Chief of Staff, a professional intelligence officer,” Obasanjo claimed.
The former president said the alleged plot was documented and brought to his attention by his Chief of Staff, whom he described as a seasoned intelligence officer.
Obasanjo, however, said he was never disturbed by the impeachment threat, insisting there was no constitutional basis for his removal from office at the time.
Neither Atiku Abubakar nor his representatives had publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.