‘Obasanjo Lied About Third Term, He Personally Told Me About It’, Says Orji Kalu

The Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, has accused erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo of “lying” astir his alleged effort to unafraid a 3rd word successful bureau during his presidency.

Speaking connected Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ connected Wednesday night, Kalu described Obasanjo’s caller denial of the third-term docket arsenic a “naked fallacy,” insisting that the erstwhile president personally confided successful him and respective governors astir plans to amend the constitution to widen his enactment successful powerfulness beyond 2007.

“With owed respect to President Obasanjo, what helium said successful Ghana was a bare lie, a bare fallacy,” Kalu declared. “Many radical who were portion of that play are inactive live — David Mark is alive, others are alive. They cognize the truth.”

Kalu alleged that sums of wealth were distributed to lawmakers to unafraid their backing for the arguable constitution amendment.

“Senator Wande (Abimbola) brought ₦50 million, which they shared, and they asked maine if I would instrumentality arsenic a governor,” Kalu recounted. “I said no, spell and springiness it back. Even the National Security Adviser now, Nuhu Ribadu, was alert of what was happening. Obasanjo was astatine the centre of it all.”

The erstwhile politician of Abia State said his refusal to enactment the determination marked the opening of his fallout with the erstwhile president.

“My quarrel with him started erstwhile I told Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and George Bush of the United States that Obasanjo was moving for a 3rd term,” helium said. “I adjacent told Nelson Mandela, whitethorn his psyche remainder successful peace. They each confronted him. I don’t cognize wherefore Nigeria should beryllium built connected lies by statesmen.”

Responding to Obasanjo’s caller assertion that nary Nigerian “dead oregon alive” could accidental helium sought a 3rd term, Kalu insisted that the ex-president had straight told him astir it.

“Of course, helium told maine successful the Villa,” Kalu said. “That was the beginning. I told him it was not possible. He had already convinced immoderate governors, but radical similar maine and a fewer others said no. I americium a committed Christian. I took an oath with the Bible to service for lone 8 years, and that was the extremity of it.”

He added that Obasanjo often referenced long-serving leaders specified arsenic Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi arsenic justification for his ambition, an thought Kalu described arsenic contrary to antiauthoritarian principles.

“He utilized to accidental Gaddafi was inactive there, others were inactive there,” Kalu recalled. “But ideology is astir the regularisation of law. The quality of law ideology is the clip limits. If the constitution says 8 years, cipher should spell beyond that. Anyone who tries is inviting the wrath of God.”

The legislator maintained that the third-term docket was nary concealed wrong the governmental elite astatine the time.

“He told galore bluish governors too. If those governors are courageous enough, they volition accidental the truth,” Kalu stated. “He wanted a 3rd term, and we stopped him. He was adjacent astatine loggerheads with Governor Peter Odili implicit it. The antheral cannot rewrite history, it is wide helium wanted a 3rd term.”

Kalu emphasised that his absorption to the program was motivated by his work to support the constitution, not idiosyncratic animosity.

“We stopped him due to the fact that of the constitution,” Kalu affirmed. “Our constitution is supreme. Even the U.S. authorities nether President George Bush supported efforts to halt him. History volition retrieve that immoderate of america stood for democracy.”