By Rukevwe Odeh

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of reviving long-standing allegations against him in what he described as an attempt to shape political opinion ahead of the 2027 general election.

The accusation follows Obasanjo’s recent claim that Atiku allegedly gave the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, ₦5 million to initiate impeachment proceedings against him while they both served in office.

Reacting through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku rejected the allegation, insisting it was false and politically motivated. He argued that the timing of the accusation, as political activities intensify ahead of the next presidential election, was intended to damage his reputation while benefiting someone he described as Obasanjo’s preferred candidate.

Atiku also questioned why the former president chose to raise the allegation after the death of Na’Abba, whom he said would have been in the best position to confirm or deny the claim.

According to the former vice president, if there had been credible evidence of wrongdoing at the time, appropriate legal action should have been taken rather than allowing the matter to resurface years later.

He further linked the renewed dispute to his opposition to Obasanjo’s controversial third-term agenda during their time in government, maintaining that his stance in defence of constitutional democracy created lasting political differences between them.

Atiku stated that instead of revisiting events from more than two decades ago, national leaders should focus on addressing Nigeria’s pressing challenges, including economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and the rising cost of living.

He added that Obasanjo is free to endorse any candidate ahead of the 2027 election but urged him to do so openly rather than relying on allegations that, in his view, can no longer be independently verified.

The exchange marks another chapter in the long-running political disagreement between the two former leaders as discussions surrounding the 2027 presidential race continue to gather momentum.