ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has dismissed allegations by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that he bribed the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to support an impeachment move against him, describing the claims as politically motivated and timed to influence the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement issued on Friday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that the allegations were intended to tarnish his reputation while creating political advantage for a candidate allegedly favoured by the former president.
According to Atiku, the timing of the claims, coming as political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections begin to take shape, raises questions about their motive.
“Coming at a time when the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general election is taking shape, the obvious objective is to besmirch my person and reputation and confer an undeserved political advantage on the former President’s preferred candidate,” Atiku said, adding that Nigerians were capable of seeing through what he described as recycled allegations.
The former vice president challenged Obasanjo to publicly declare the individual he intends to support in the next presidential election rather than attempting to shape public opinion through claims involving a key figure who is no longer alive to respond.
“If former President Obasanjo has chosen to take a political position ahead of 2027, he should simply declare it and allow Nigerians to judge it on its merits, rather than attempting to influence public opinion through allegations that can no longer be tested because the principal witness is no longer alive,” he stated.
Atiku also questioned why the allegation was not publicly raised while the late Ghali Umar Na’Abba was alive, arguing that doing so after the former Speaker’s death deprived Nigerians of the opportunity to hear his own account of the events.
He further maintained that the bribery allegation had never been substantiated through any judicial process or official investigation.
“If there was indeed evidence of any criminal conduct as alleged, Nigerians are entitled to ask why no action was taken at the time by a government that wielded the full powers of the Nigerian state,” Atiku said.
The former vice president also revisited his long-running political differences with Obasanjo, linking the latest allegations to disagreements that emerged during the administration of the former president, particularly over the controversial third-term agenda.
Atiku said his opposition to any attempt to extend presidential tenure beyond constitutional limits was motivated by a commitment to protecting Nigeria’s democracy rather than personal political ambition.
“Rather than surrender democratic principles on the altar of personal ambition, I defended the Constitution and successfully asserted my rights through the courts in a series of landmark legal victories against a sitting President. Those battles are now part of Nigeria’s democratic history,” he said, adding that the bitterness arising from that period appeared to have persisted.
Despite the renewed political exchanges, Atiku said he remained focused on addressing the country’s pressing challenges, including economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and rising hunger. He stressed that his priority was to offer Nigerians an alternative vision for governance while promoting democratic accountability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
