Former House of Representatives Minority Leader Farouk Aliyu has made allegations that he was offered ₦250 million to support former President Olusegun Obasanjo's attempt to secure a third term in office in 2006. In an interview on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, Aliyu detailed how he was pressed to support the controversial constitutional amendment designed to extend Obasanjo's tenure. He claimed that the late-stage push involved former EFCC Chairman Nuhu Ribadu, who persuaded him to return to Abuja for discussions after he initially refused to meet with the president.
According to Aliyu, once in Abuja, an unnamed individual offered him ₦250 million to flip his vote. He stated that higher sums were offered to top principal officers, including ₦500 million to then-Speaker Aminu Masari and ₦400 million to Majority Leader Abdul Ningi, both of whom he claims also rejected the bribes. Aliyu's account directly challenges assertions made by Obasanjo, who publicly maintained as recently as late 2025 that he never asked anyone to support a third-term agenda.
The former lawmaker stated that despite the pressure, he told organizers the tenure extension "wouldn't fly" and maintained his opposition alongside standard members who were allegedly offered ₦50 million each. Aliyu's comments have sparked renewed debate about the 2006 constitutional amendment effort, which ultimately collapsed in the National Assembly in May 2006, terminating the effort. The development has raised questions about the extent of Obasanjo's involvement in the bid to extend his tenure.
Obasanjo's third-term bid was a highly contentious issue during his presidency, with many Nigerians opposing the move as an attempt to undermine the country's democratic institutions. The former president has consistently denied allegations that he sought to extend his tenure, but Aliyu's account suggests otherwise. The development has sparked renewed scrutiny of Obasanjo's presidency and the events surrounding the 2006 constitutional amendment effort.
Aliyu's allegations have also raised questions about the role of money in Nigerian politics, with many Nigerians expressing concern about the influence of bribery and corruption in the country's democratic process. The former lawmaker's account has sparked renewed calls for greater transparency and accountability in Nigerian politics, with many Nigerians demanding that politicians be held to higher standards of integrity.
The development has also sparked a renewed debate about the legacy of Obasanjo's presidency, with many Nigerians questioning the extent to which his administration was marked by corruption and abuse of power. Aliyu's allegations have added fuel to the fire, with many Nigerians demanding that the former president be held accountable for his actions while in office.
The Nigerian Tribune reached out to Obasanjo's team for comment, but they were unavailable for response at the time of filing this report. The former president's account of events surrounding the 2006 constitutional amendment effort remains unclear, but Aliyu's allegations have undoubtedly sparked renewed debate about one of the most contentious issues of his presidency.
Key points
- Farouk Aliyu alleges he was offered ₦250 million to support Obasanjo's 2006 third-term bid.
- Aliyu's account challenges Obasanjo's denials that he never asked anyone to support a third-term agenda.
- The development has sparked renewed debate about the legacy of Obasanjo's presidency and the influence of bribery and corruption in Nigerian politics.
