Atiku rejects N5m bribe claim for Obasanjo impeachment, cites 2027 politics
Atiku Abubakar denied allegations that he paid N5 million to former Speaker Ghali Na'Abba to initiate impeachment proceedings against ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo during Obasanjo's first term. The denial came in a statement issued Friday by Atiku's aide, Phrank Shaibu, a day after Obasanjo claimed in a letter that Atiku gave the money to Na'Abba to start the impeachment process.
Atiku questioned why Obasanjo waited until after Na'Abba's December 2023 death to make the allegation, arguing that invoking a deceased man as the principal witness denies Nigerians the chance to hear the other side and is contrary to cultural values. He suggested the timing, as political activities for the 2027 general election gather momentum, is an attempt to damage his reputation and gain an unfair advantage for Obasanjo's kinsman.
The former vice president urged Nigerians to focus on pressing issues like soaring food prices, rising public debt, and recurring scandals in the current administration rather than revisiting political disputes from over two decades ago. Atiku said he would not engage in prolonged exchanges about past disputes while Nigeria faces economic and security challenges, and called on Obasanjo to openly endorse his preferred 2027 candidate instead of making allegations that cannot be tested now that Na'Abba is dead.
With the 2027 election approaching, should Nigerians prioritize scrutinizing historical political allegations or demand solutions to current economic and governance challenges?