Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo have renewed their long-running political feud over an alleged plot to remove Obasanjo from office during his first term.
The latest dispute followed a July 23, 2026 letter by Obasanjo, in which he alleged that Atiku gave then House of Representatives Speaker Ghali Umar Na’Abba N5 million to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.
Obasanjo made the claim while responding to former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba’s account of political manoeuvring ahead of the 2003 presidential election.
He alleged that Atiku met Na’Abba in his absence, urged him to pursue his removal and provided money for the process, adding that the alleged transaction was reported to him by his then Chief of Staff.
Atiku, through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, rejected the claim and accused Obasanjo of repeatedly reviving old controversies to damage his reputation.
Ibe also questioned the allegation’s timing, noting that Na’Abba died in December 2023 and could no longer respond.
The Atiku camp cited former lawmaker Abubakar Bwari, who served as Chief Whip during the period, as disputing Obasanjo’s account. According to Ibe, Bwari said Na’Abba did not seek Obasanjo’s removal and that Atiku instead approached lawmakers on the president’s behalf.
The allegation has revived the 2002 executive-legislative crisis. On August 13 that year, the House passed a resolution giving Obasanjo 14 days to resign or face impeachment over alleged constitutional breaches and other grievances.
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Obasanjo remained in office, while the impeachment threat was withdrawn in September 2002 after Na’Abba announced that lawmakers had chosen to forgive the president in the national interest.
The 2002 impeachment confrontation is documented, but it does not independently establish Obasanjo’s separate claim that Atiku paid Na’Abba N5 million to trigger it.
Obasanjo and Atiku nevertheless remained political partners and won re-election together in 2003. Their relationship later collapsed over succession, corruption allegations and Obasanjo’s bid for a third term.
Atiku opposed the proposed constitutional amendment, which failed in the National Assembly in May 2006. The PTDF controversy further strained relations, with Atiku denying wrongdoing and alleging political victimisation.
By the 2007 election, Atiku had left the Peoples Democratic Party and contested the presidency under the Action Congress. Obasanjo completed his tenure on May 29, 2007, handing power to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
The current dispute began after Osoba revisited the politics surrounding the 2003 election in a July 20, 2026 article. Obasanjo responded on July 23, rejecting Osoba’s account and introducing the allegation involving Atiku and Na’Abba.
Atiku’s rebuttal has reopened the decades-old dispute as Nigeria approaches the 2027 election, in which he is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress.
Obasanjo had not publicly responded to Atiku’s latest statement as of the time of filing this report.