2027: Obasanjo reviving ‘stale allegations’ to favour Obi – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of resurrecting decades-old allegations against him to undermine his presidential bid and give political advantage to his preferred candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.

Atiku’s remarks came against the backdrop of renewed political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 presidential election, in which Obasanjo has again emerged as an influential behind-the-scenes figure.

In a statement issued on Friday by Phrank Shaibu, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Atiku described Obasanjo’s allegation that he bribed Ghali Umar Na’Abba, the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, to facilitate the former president’s impeachment as “reckless, politically motivated and impossible to verify.”

BusinessDay reports that Obasanjo was widely reported to have played a pivotal behind-the-scenes role in brokering the political deal that culminated in the emergence of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)’s presidential and vice presidential candidates for the 2027 election.

Since late 2025, multiple reports have indicated that Obasanjo played a key role in encouraging opposition leaders to unite against President Bola Tinubu.

Obasanjo had reportedly held separate consultations with both leaders and other opposition stakeholders as part of efforts to forge a united front.

According to Atiku, Obasanjo’s decision to raise the allegation only after Na’Abba’s death was unfair because the late Speaker could no longer confirm or deny the claim.

“If this allegation were true, why did he never make it while Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba was alive? Why wait until the only man who could confirm or refute the claim has departed this world?” Atiku asked.

He argued that invoking a deceased public official in a contemporary political dispute denied Nigerians the opportunity to hear the other side of the story.

Atiku further noted that no court judgment, official investigation or criminal prosecution had ever substantiated the allegation.

“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,” he said.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), linked the renewed allegations to the evolving political realignments ahead of the 2027 election, insisting that they were aimed at damaging his reputation while benefiting Obasanjo’s preferred candidate.

“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 kinsman,” he said.

Atiku also revisited his long-running political disagreement with Obasanjo, maintaining that their fallout stemmed from his opposition to the former president’s controversial third-term agenda.

“My offence was that I stood firmly against the unconstitutional third-term agenda. As a democrat, I chose the path of constitutionalism and the rule of law,” he stated.

He said Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, rising debt and questions over public spending deserved greater attention than “recycled political tales from yesterday.”

Atiku added that while Obasanjo was free to support any candidate in the 2027 election, he should do so openly rather than rely on allegations that could no longer be independently tested because the principal witness was dead.