The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo over an allegation linking Atiku to an alleged plan to remove him from office during his presidency.
Obasanjo had alleged that Atiku gave the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, ₦5 million to commence impeachment proceedings against him. But Atiku’s camp has rejected the claim, describing it as an unverified allegation raised more than two decades after the alleged incident.
In a statement, the group said the allegation lacked credible evidence, insisting that no court judgment, financial record or publicly examined proof had been presented to support the claim.
“Obasanjo’s latest allegation against Atiku Abubakar is not statesmanship. It is an untested accusation dragged from the political cemetery more than two decades later,” the statement said.
The group questioned why the matter was not investigated when the alleged actors were alive and when Obasanjo was in power with access to state institutions, intelligence agencies and security authorities.
“Why was this allegation not pursued when Na’Abba was alive?” the statement asked.
It added: “Why did a President who controlled the intelligence services, security agencies and enormous machinery of the Nigerian state fail to investigate, prosecute or prove it at the time”
According to the group, raising the allegation after the death of Na’Abba denied the late lawmaker the opportunity to respond, defend his reputation or provide his own account of what happened.
“You cannot remain silent when every alleged witness is alive, then suddenly become courageous after the most important witness has entered the grave,” it said.
The statement described Atiku’s response as straightforward, saying: “The grave is not a witness box.”
It argued that using a deceased former Speaker as the central figure in an allegation that was never tested in court amounted to political convenience rather than evidence.
“Na’Abba can no longer defend his honour, challenge the account or tell Nigerians what truly happened. Using a deceased statesman as the central character in an allegation that was never judicially tested is not evidence,” the statement said.
The group also linked the development to the long-standing political disagreement between Obasanjo and Atiku, particularly the controversy surrounding the former president’s alleged third-term ambition.
It maintained that Atiku’s opposition to the third-term project was the major reason for the political fallout between both men.
“Atiku has consistently maintained that his real offence was standing against an unconstitutional attempt to extend Obasanjo’s tenure and successfully resisting the sitting President through the courts,” the statement said.
The group accused Obasanjo of reviving old political disputes ahead of the 2027 general elections, arguing that political disagreements should not be settled through allegations that cannot be properly examined.
It urged the former president to openly declare support for any candidate he prefers instead of using past controversies to attack Atiku.
“If he wants to support his kinsman, he should do so boldly. Endorse him. Campaign for him. Defend his record. There is no need to manufacture a courtroom inside a cemetery and summon a dead man as the star witness,” the statement said.
The group insisted that any allegation against Atiku should be supported by evidence and subjected to proper legal scrutiny.
“Atiku is alive. Obasanjo is alive. Let any credible evidence be presented before a competent court where it can be examined, challenged and judged,” it said.
It added that Nigerians were more concerned about pressing national challenges, including economic hardship, insecurity and governance issues, rather than renewed political disputes from the past.
The group further said Atiku had faced political battles, institutional opposition and attempts to limit his democratic participation, adding that he would not be defined by what it described as recycled accusations.
“Chief Obasanjo should respect the memory of Ghali Na’Abba, state his 2027 preference openly and stop hiding political hostility behind allegations that can no longer be fairly tested,” the statement said.