Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has disclosed how his former deputy, Vice President Atiku Abubakar masterminded the 2002 attempted impeachment move against him by the House of Representatives under Ghali Umar Na’Abba as Speaker.
Obasanjo in a letter to former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, said Atiku wanted to take over as President by all means.
Obasanjo, who was responding to comments by Osoba on how former President Obasanjo deceived Yoruba leaders, said that it was the intervention of former President Shehu Shagari that doused the impeachment tension.
According to Obasanjo; “Na’Abba’s impeachment plot began at the presidency with the Vice-President, who on a Friday when I was out of the office, invited Na’Abba to his office and convinced him as he had convinced himself and some others.
“Atiku wanted that I should have only one term as President and this was the act of a man I brought up from governorship to Vice-President.
“From the first day as Vice-President, Atiku raised campaigners for his presidency. On the Friday, he invited Na’Abba, he gave him 5 million naira to begin his impeachment work.
“It was all noted, recorded and reported to me by my Chief of Staff, a professional intelligence officer. The game continued to be played on with me treating it with contempt as I have committed no impeachable offence except my Vice-President who wanted to take over by hook or by crook.
“It was President Shagari, who on his own volition, asked me about impeachment and I told him that for me, there was absolutely nothing in it.
“President Shagari requested for my permission to handle it and, of course, I gave him the go-ahead,” Obsanjo said.
It would be recalled that on August 13, 2002, the House of Representatives with Na’Abba as Speaker passed a motion and gave then President Obasanjo 14 days to resign or face impeachment over alleged constitutional breaches.
Accordingly, in September 2002, the House formally listed 17 allegations against Obasanjo, that included failure to implement budgets, constitutional violations, and authorizing military operations without legislative approval.
However, the impeachment process failed to scale through after intervention by notable national leaders who persuaded Na’Abba and then Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim to shelve the matter in the interest of Nigeria’s young democracy.
