Atiku Slams Obasanjo Over N5m Na’Abba Bribery Allegation, Dares Him to Openly Back His 2027 Candidate

The political war of words between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his former deputy, Atiku Abubakar, has reached a boiling point following fresh bribery accusations linked to the early years of the Fourth Republic.

The controversy erupted after Obasanjo, in a recent open letter to former Ogun State Governor Chief Olusegun Osoba, alleged that Atiku secretly met with the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, offering a ₦5 million bribe in a bid to orchestrate Obasanjo’s impeachment.

Reacting through a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku strongly rejected the allegation, describing it as a recycled falsehood concocted to sway public opinion as political actors begin positioning themselves for the 2027 presidential race.

Atiku particularly questioned the timing of the claims, pointing out that Obasanjo conveniently waited until after Na’Abba’s passing before raising an allegation that can no longer be independently cross-examined or verified. He accused his former boss of attempting to damage his political standing to give an unearned advantage to Obasanjo’s political “kinsman.”

“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,” Atiku stated through his aide. “Nigerians are too discerning to be distracted by stale allegations resurrected for political convenience. If the former President has a candidate he wants to support for 2027, he should be bold enough to come out openly and campaign for him rather than trying to shape public opinion through unverified stories.”

The former Vice President maintained that Nigerians are focused on real socio-economic issues rather than decades-old political feuds revived for campaign leverage.

As the political temperature continues to rise ahead of the next general election, the resurgence of the long-standing Obasanjo-Atiku rivalry signals an intense battle for influence among elder statesmen looking to shape the country’s political future.