Political activist and former legislator Dr. Usman Bugaje has disputed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s denial of pursuing a third term in office, insisting that the ex-president “did everything within his power” to extend his tenure.
Obasanjo, speaking at a democracy dialogue organized by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Ghana last week, dismissed the allegations, saying:
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian dead or alive that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term.”
But Bugaje, who served in the National Assembly under Obasanjo, told Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday that lawmakers at the time were fully aware of efforts to push the agenda.
“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,” he said, describing Obasanjo’s explanation as unconvincing.
He added that the ex-president’s agents had intimidated several legislators to advance the plan.
“Now, the fact that he did not take a telephone to make a particular call to anybody is not sufficient evidence that he did not look for a third term. 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,” Bugaje said.
Bugaje recalled instances of coercion, including threats to Senator Victor Lar, then leader of the Northern caucus in the House of Representatives, who was reportedly forced into hiding before key sessions to resist the third-term push.
“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. There is sufficient evidence… this is a matter that is incontrovertible, there is no way he can deny it,” he stressed.
The third-term debate dominated Nigerian politics in 2006 when an amendment to the 1999 Constitution, which would have allowed presidents to seek three consecutive terms, was presented to the National Assembly.
The proposal, believed to have been backed by Obasanjo’s allies as he neared the end of his second term, faced opposition from civil society, political opponents, and even members of his own party, the Peoples Democratic Party. The amendment, which included other constitutional changes, was ultimately rejected after intense debate, paving the way for the 2007 elections that ushered in the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Obasanjo, in a 2023 New Year message, reiterated that he never lobbied for a third term, claiming he could have done so if he chose.
Meanwhile, former Senate President Adolphus Wabara said he turned down a N250 million bribe intended to support the controversial agenda, confirming in a January 2024 interview on the YouTube series Untold Stories with Adesuwa, “That’s very correct.”
Former PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar also revealed that his close rapport with National Assembly members while serving as vice-president played a key role in blocking Obasanjo’s third-term bid, adding that he plans to reconnect with NASS members following his election as president.