₦250 Million Was Offered To Me For Obasanjo’s Third-Term Bid – Aliyu

Former House of Representatives Minority Leader, Farouq Aliyu, has alleged that he was offered ₦250 million to support former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s controversial third-term bid.

Naija News reports that Aliyu made the claim during an appearance on the Naija Unfiltered podcast published on YouTube on Friday.

The third-term proposal was one of the major political controversies of the Obasanjo administration, which lasted from 1999 to 2007. In May 2006, the National Assembly rejected proposed constitutional amendments that would have paved the way for Obasanjo to seek a third consecutive term.

Obasanjo has repeatedly denied pursuing a third term. In September 2025, the former President again said he did not seek another term.

However, Aliyu insisted the third-term agenda was genuine, claiming attempts were made to secure lawmakers’ support.

He said the then Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, contacted him and asked him to come to Abuja for a meeting with Obasanjo.

According to Aliyu, he initially declined the invitation but later agreed to meet the former President.

He said he discussed the proposed constitutional amendment during the meeting and maintained that the plan would not succeed.

Aliyu further alleged that he was subsequently offered ₦250 million by an individual whom Ribadu had directed him to meet.

“Third term agenda was real. In fact, they offered me ₦250 million. I did not take it,” he said.

The former lawmaker also claimed that other senior lawmakers were offered large sums of money to support the proposal.

He alleged that the then Speaker of the House, Aminu Masari, was offered ₦400 million, while the then Majority Leader, Abdul Ningi, was allegedly offered the same amount.

“Masari, who was the speaker then, ₦400 million was offered. He did not take it. Abdul Ningi, the majority leader, ₦400 million naira was offered to him. He did not take it,” Aliyu said.

He further alleged that less influential lawmakers were offered smaller amounts.

“₦50 million was dashed to small fries. They paid a minimum of ₦50 million,” he said.

Aliyu also credited several prominent politicians with helping to frustrate the proposed constitutional amendment.

He said former military Head of State Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar and then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, played significant roles in opposing the third-term project.

The National Assembly ultimately rejected the proposed constitutional amendment in 2006, ending the attempt to extend Obasanjo’s presidency beyond 2007.