Aliyu made the claim while speaking on the ‘Naija Unfiltered’ podcast, revisiting the political controversy surrounding Obasanjo’s administration and the unsuccessful attempt to amend the Constitution to allow the former president to remain in office beyond two terms.
According to Aliyu, N250 million was offered to him during discussions over the third-term agenda, but he refused to accept the money. He said Masari, who was Speaker of the House at the time, was offered N400 million and also rejected it.
Aliyu said the third-term proposal was a serious political project despite Obasanjo’s repeated denials that he intended to remain in office for a third successive term.
Obasanjo served as president from 1999 to 2007. In 2006, the National Assembly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have opened the way for him to seek another term in office.
Aliyu recalled that he was approached during the period by then Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, who asked him to come to Abuja for a meeting connected to the third-term discussions.
He said he initially declined the invitation but later agreed to meet with Obasanjo, where he maintained that the proposed constitutional changes would not succeed.
Aliyu further claimed that lawmakers supporting the third-term project were offered different amounts, with some allegedly receiving at least N50 million.
He also named other political figures whom he said played important roles in opposing the attempt, including former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume.
The former lawmaker’s latest comments revive one of the most contentious political episodes of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, when efforts to alter the constitutional term limit generated intense debate and opposition within and outside the National Assembly.
The proposed amendment ultimately failed in the Senate in May 2006 after lawmakers voted against the measure, effectively ending the attempt to create a constitutional pathway for Obasanjo to seek a third consecutive term.
Obasanjo has continued to deny that he personally pursued a third term. In previous public comments, the former president maintained that if he had wanted to seek another term, he would have known how to pursue it.
Aliyu, however, has maintained that the third-term agenda existed and that lawmakers were subjected to pressure and inducements during the controversy.
His latest account also adds to earlier public statements he made about alleged payments to lawmakers during the period. In a 2009 interview, Aliyu said he was among those who opposed the third-term project and claimed that several lawmakers were offered substantial sums of money to support it.
The allegations remain claims made by Aliyu, and the latest comments do not by themselves establish that the alleged payments were made or that they were authorised by Obasanjo personally.
The failed third-term effort remains a significant episode in Nigeria’s democratic history, particularly in debates about constitutional limits, executive power and the independence of the legislature.
Leave a comment