Atiku Accuses Obasanjo of Resurrecting Old Grievances Ahead of 2027
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of making false and politically motivated allegations against him, insisting that the former president has not forgiven him for opposing the alleged third term agenda during the administration between 1999 and 2007.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election, made his position known in a strongly worded statement on Friday while reacting to allegations by Obasanjo that he bribed the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.
The former vice president questioned why the allegation was not made while Na’Abba was alive and able to respond to the claim. He described the decision to invoke the name of a deceased former public official in the political dispute as unfair to Na’Abba’s memory, arguing that the late speaker could no longer defend his integrity or present his own side of the story.
Atiku also questioned why no legal action was taken against him at the time if there was evidence to support the allegation, noting that the government then had the full powers of the Nigerian state to investigate and prosecute any alleged criminal conduct.
According to him, the resurfacing of the allegation at a time when political activities ahead of the 2027 general election are gathering momentum was aimed at damaging his reputation and giving political advantage to a preferred candidate.
The former vice president maintained that his major disagreement with Obasanjo arose from his opposition to the alleged unconstitutional attempt to extend the former president’s tenure beyond the constitutionally permitted two terms.
Atiku said he chose to defend constitutionalism, democracy and the rule of law, adding that his legal battles against the administration had become part of Nigeria’s democratic history.
He further accused Obasanjo of allowing old political grievances to influence his current position, while insisting that Nigerians are more concerned about the country’s economic challenges, insecurity, unemployment, rising food prices and the management of public resources than political disputes dating back more than two decades.
Atiku said Obasanjo was free to support any candidate of his choice ahead of the 2027 election but challenged him to openly declare his preferred candidate instead of allegedly attempting to discredit the ADC presidential candidate.
The development has further intensified the political exchanges between the two former leaders as political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election continue to take shape.
