I Can Confirm That Lawmakers Were Offered Bribe of N50million Each To Support Obasanjo’s Third Term —Senator Na’Allah

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has apparently come under fire for firing a salvo at members of the National Assembly. On Monday, Obasanjo had said that allegations of budget padding in the House of Assembly made by former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jubrin had justified his earlier declaration that the lawmakers were corrupt. Following that comment, various media reports have quoted earlier comments he made in which he described Nigerian lawmakers as ‘armed robbers and rogues.’

Yesterday, a ranking senator and Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate, Bala Na’Allah turned the ‘corrupt’ description against the former president who he alleged, bribed lawmakers with the sum of N50million each so they could alter the constitution in favour of his bid for a third term as President.

Na’Allah declared: “I was the only member from Kebbi state who did not find it worthy at that time to collect the sum of N50million as an inducement to subvert the constitution and provide a constitutional framework for the third term ambition of President Obasanjo. His full statement was as follows:

“My attention has been drawn to a purported statement attributed to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in which it was alleged that he made a sweeping statement to the effect that there are no men of integrity in the National Assembly. I am not corrupt and I have integrity.”

“I am respectfully taking exception to the statement, which I express the hope that it is not true. To start with, it is not in my character to take issues with elder statesmen who have had the privilege of superintending the affairs of our great country, Nigeria.

“If former President Obasanjo can come out with one proven record of corruption against me as a person, I promise to vacate my seat as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For the records, I was the only member from Kebbi State, who did not find it worthy at the time to collect the sum of N50million as an inducement to subvert the constitution and provide a constitutional framework for the third term ambition of (then) President Obasanjo.

“I find this statement, if it is true, to be reckless and terrifying. The implication of the statement is to say the entire over 170million Nigerians have not elected a single person with integrity among the 469 members of the National Assembly. This is definitely rhapsodic and does not conform to common sense and reason.”