The Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of “lying” about his alleged attempt to secure a third term in office during his presidency.
Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Wednesday night, Kalu described Obasanjo’s recent denial of the third-term agenda as a “naked fallacy,” insisting that the former president personally confided in him and several governors about plans to amend the constitution to extend his stay in power beyond 2007.
“With due respect to President Obasanjo, what he said in Ghana was a naked lie, a naked fallacy,” Kalu declared. “Many people who were part of that period are still alive — David Mark is alive, others are alive. They know the truth.”
Kalu alleged that sums of money were distributed to lawmakers to secure their backing for the controversial constitution amendment.
“Senator Wande (Abimbola) brought ₦50 million, which they shared, and they asked me if I would take as a governor,” Kalu recounted. “I said no, go and give it back. Even the National Security Adviser now, Nuhu Ribadu, was aware of what was happening. Obasanjo was at the centre of it all.”
The former governor of Abia State said his refusal to support the move marked the beginning of his fallout with the former president.
“My quarrel with him started when I told Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and George Bush of the United States that Obasanjo was running for a third term,” he said. “I even told Nelson Mandela, may his soul rest in peace. They all confronted him. I don’t know why Nigeria should be built on lies by statesmen.”
Responding to Obasanjo’s recent claim that no Nigerian “dead or alive” could say he sought a third term, Kalu insisted that the ex-president had directly told him about it.
“Of course, he told me in the Villa,” Kalu said. “That was the beginning. I told him it was not possible. He had already convinced some governors, but people like me and a few others said no. I am a committed Christian. I took an oath with the Bible to serve for only eight years, and that was the end of it.”
He added that Obasanjo often referenced long-serving leaders such as Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi as justification for his ambition, an idea Kalu described as contrary to democratic principles.
“He used to say Gaddafi was still there, others were still there,” Kalu recalled. “But democracy is about the rule of law. The beauty of constitutional democracy is the time limits. If the constitution says eight years, nobody should go beyond that. Anyone who tries is inviting the wrath of God.”
The senator maintained that the third-term agenda was no secret within the political elite at the time.
“He told many northern governors too. If those governors are courageous enough, they will say the truth,” Kalu stated. “He wanted a third term, and we stopped him. He was even at loggerheads with Governor Peter Odili over it. The man cannot rewrite history, it is clear he wanted a third term.”
Kalu emphasised that his resistance to the plan was motivated by his duty to defend the constitution, not personal animosity.
“We stopped him because of the constitution,” Kalu affirmed. “Our constitution is supreme. Even the U.S. government under President George Bush supported efforts to stop him. History will remember that some of us stood for democracy.”
