Ex-Lawmaker Claims He Rejected N250m Bribe in Obasanjo Third-Term Push

During the 2006 constitutional amendment debate, Farouk Aliyu—who held the position of Minority Leader in the House of Representatives—received an offer of N250 million. The incentive was meant to persuade him to endorse former President Olusegun Obasanjo's attempt to extend his tenure beyond two constitutionally mandated terms.

Aliyu declined the offer and continued opposing the proposal, as he recounted during a recent podcast interview. Aliyu's recollection reveals that the third-term initiative involved vigorous efforts by high-ranking officials to win over key members of the legislature.

He explained that while he initially refused an invitation to meet with Obasanjo, he subsequently consented to participate. At the gathering, an unnamed person tendered the monetary incentive, which Aliyu rejected.

Former EFCC Chairman Nuhu Ribadu had reportedly intervened to encourage Aliyu into returning to Abuja so these talks could proceed. Other senior lawmakers allegedly received comparable inducements.

Speaker of the House Aminu Masari is said to have been offered N400 million in exchange for backing the same initiative. When combined, the amounts presented to both Aliyu and Masari totaled N650 million.

Among the most polarizing moments of Obasanjo's time in power—which ran from 1999 through 2007—was the third-term debate. The bid to amend Nigeria's constitution did not succeed, as opposition within the National Assembly and broader political resistance ultimately blocked alterations to the country's term-limit framework.

Aliyu's current account offers fresh insights into the intensity with which the administration pursued backing among members of the federal legislature during those years.