Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, has publicly accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of lying about never seeking a third term in office, insisting that Obasanjo personally informed him of his ambition to extend his stay in power.
Kalu’s counter-claim comes after Obasanjo’s firm denial during the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation’s Democracy Dialogue held in Accra in September. The former president had dismissed the claims, stating, “There is no Nigerian dead or alive that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term. I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday night, October 8, the former Abia governor directly challenged Obasanjo’s statement, calling it “a naked lie, a naked fallacy.” Kalu asserted that many contemporaries who were part of that period, including former Senate President David Mark, are still alive and know the truth.
Kalu alleged that Obasanjo invited him to the Presidential Villa during his administration specifically to discuss the plan to amend the constitution that would enable him to seek another term in office. To support his claim, Kalu referenced financial transactions related to the alleged campaign, claiming that the late Senator Uche Chukwumerije brought ₦50 million, which was shared among officials, and that he (Kalu) allegedly refused a portion. He further suggested that the then National Security Adviser would be able to confirm Obasanjo was aware of the plot.
The Senator claimed that his highly publicized fallout with Obasanjo began specifically after he opposed the third-term agenda and informed several world leaders about the alleged move. Kalu stated he informed then-Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and George Bush of the United States, as well as the late Nelson Mandela, all of whom he says confronted Obasanjo.
Kalu maintained that while Obasanjo had successfully convinced some state governors to support the constitutional amendment, a few individuals, including himself, stood firm against it. He emphasized his refusal was based on a prior commitment:
“I took an oath with the Bible to serve for only eight years, and that was the end of it,” he concluded, lamenting that Nigerian political culture should not be built on what he termed “lies by statesmen.”
