Obasanjo Alleges Atiku Paid ₦5m for Impeachment Plot with Na’Abba

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has come forward with a serious accusation, claiming that his former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, financially supported an attempt to remove him from office during Obasanjo's initial presidential term. Obasanjo specifically alleged that Atiku provided ₦5 million to the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, to facilitate this impeachment move.

These revelations emerged as Obasanjo responded to remarks made by former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba, concerning political events leading up to the 2003 general elections. In a formal statement, the ex-President asserted that the scheme to impeach him originated within the Presidency itself, with Atiku spearheading the effort after a private discussion with Na’Abba. According to Obasanjo's account, Atiku convinced the late Speaker that Obasanjo should only serve a single term as president and urged him to commence impeachment proceedings.

Obasanjo quoted, "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 but of insignificant number, that I should have only one term as President."

He further claimed that Atiku then provided the financial resources to kick-start the impeachment process. Obasanjo stated, "On the Friday, Atiku invited Na’Abba; he gave him ₦5 million to begin his impeachment work. It was all noted, recorded and reported to me by my Chief of Staff, a professional intelligence officer."

The former President reiterated that both the alleged meeting and the financial transaction were thoroughly documented and subsequently brought to his attention by his Chief of Staff, whom he described as a skilled intelligence professional. Despite the gravity of the alleged plot, Obasanjo maintained that he remained unfazed by the impeachment threat, confident that there were no constitutional grounds for his removal from office. This recent disclosure adds another layer to the enduring political animosity between Obasanjo and Atiku, a rivalry that has persisted since their joint tenure from 1999 to 2007.