Dr. Usman Bugaje rejects Olusegun Obasanjo’s denial of a third-term agenda, insisting the ex-president actively sought to extend his tenure.
He says lawmakers faced pressure, inducements and threats during the constitutional amendment push.
Prominent political activist and civil society leader, Dr. Usman Bugaje, has rejected former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent claim that he never sought a third term in office, insisting the ex-president actively tried to extend his tenure.
Obasanjo, speaking at a democracy dialogue hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Ghana last week, dismissed long-running speculation about a third-term agenda, arguing that no Nigerian could credibly say he personally solicited support for another term in office.
Appearing on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, September 22, Bugaje, who served in the National Assembly during Obasanjo’s presidency, countered that legislators of the era directly experienced efforts to amend the constitution for an extended tenure.
According to Bugaje, Obasanjo pushed strongly for the initiative even though he avoided overt phone calls or direct statements. He alleged that lawmakers were pressured and, in some cases, intimidated to support constitutional changes that would have enabled a third term.
He recalled that then–northern caucus leader in the House of Representatives, Senator Victor Lar, had to evade public appearances ahead of a decisive meeting on the issue. Bugaje also claimed that funds were distributed and threats issued to sway votes, noting that both those who offered and those who resisted the inducements remain alive and could testify.
Bugaje concluded that there was “overwhelming” evidence of the third-term push, asserting that Obasanjo’s denial could not erase the historical record of what transpired in the legislature at the time.
