Former House of Representatives minority leader Farouk Aliyu says he was offered N250 million to support former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s controversial “third term” agenda in 2006. Aliyu makes the allegation in an interview on the Naija Unfiltered podcast, describing how the proposal was discussed during his time in the National Assembly.
Aliyu says he and other lawmakers were approached in connection with the push to allow Obasanjo to run for a third successive term. He recounts that Nuhu Ribadu, then chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, asked him to come to Abuja for a meeting with Obasanjo, and that he later accepted the meeting. Aliyu also says he told those involved that the move would fail.
The outlets also note that the National Assembly rejected a constitutional amendment bill in May 2006 that would have enabled the third term. While Aliyu presents evidence of the alleged financial offers—claiming he refused the N250m—Obasanjo has repeatedly denied pursuing a third term. Other reporting in the set adds that Aliyu attributes efforts to stop the bid to figures including Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and George Akume.
