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| OBJ & Kalu. |
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who represents Abia North, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of being dishonest about not seeking a third term in office, asserting that the ex-president personally informed him of his desire to extend his tenure.
Obasanjo had, during the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation’s Democracy Dialogue held in Accra in September, dismissed allegations that he attempted to pursue a third term.
“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,” the former president said.
However, Kalu, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, refuted Obasanjo’s denial regarding the alleged third-term bid.
“With due respect to President Obasanjo, what he said in Ghana was a naked lie, a naked fallacy. Many people who were part of that period are still alive—David Mark is alive, and others are alive. They know the truth,” Kalu stated.
The former governor of Abia State claimed that Obasanjo had summoned him to the Presidential Villa during his administration to discuss a plan to amend the constitution so he could seek another term.
“He invited me to the villa and told me about the third term. Senator Uche Chukwumerije brought ₦50 million, which they shared, and they asked me if I would take it as a governor,” Kalu alleged.
“I said no, go and give it back. Even the national security adviser (Nuhu Ribadu) would know Obasanjo was lying; he was at the centre of it all.”
Kalu further said that his disagreement with Obasanjo began after he opposed the third-term agenda and informed various world leaders about the move.
“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.”
He also claimed that although Obasanjo had persuaded some governors to support him, a few — including himself — stood firm in their opposition.
“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,” Kalu said.
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