A former federal lawmaker, Dr Usman Bugaje, has directly challenged former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent denial of seeking a third term in office, insisting that Mr Obasanjo actively pursued an extension of his presidency using intimidation and financial inducements.
The long-standing controversy was reignited last week when Mr Obasanjo, speaking at an event in Ghana, dismissed the notion that he tried to stay in power beyond his second term, which ended in 2007. He declared that he was “not a fool” and would have known how to achieve a third term if he had wanted one, adding that no one could claim he personally told them of such a desire.
However, appearing on Arise Television on Monday, Dr Bugaje, who served in the National Assembly at the time, firmly rejected this denial. He described the former president’s statement as a misleading play on words.
“I can confirm to you that Obasanjo looked for a third term. He did everything that he could within his power to get a third term, but he failed to do so,” Dr Bugaje stated.
He argued that the fact Mr Obasanjo may not have made personal phone calls to individuals was irrelevant. “It’s just a matter of style. But all of us in the National Assembly at that time knew beyond any doubt that he worked day and night, and many of us were threatened by his own agents,” he explained.
Dr Bugaje provided specific accounts of the pressure faced by lawmakers who opposed the constitutional amendment that would have allowed a third term. He recalled how Senator Victor Lar, a key northern leader in the assembly, was allegedly forced into hiding to avoid pressure ahead of a critical meeting to block the proposal.
The former lawmaker asserted that evidence of the campaign is overwhelming and that many key figures are still alive to testify. “Those people who actually distributed the money and threatened us are alive. Those who received the money are alive. Those who refused to receive the money are alive,” Dr Bugaje said.
He concluded by stating that the matter is “incontrovertible,” and that there is no credible way for the former president to deny the historical record. This fresh testimony adds a detailed, first-hand perspective to a defining political episode in Nigeria’s recent history, challenging the narrative put forward by the former head of state.
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