Farouq Aliyu Reveals Bribes Rejected for Obasanjo's Agenda

Farouq Aliyu, a former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, disclosed that he rejected an offer of N250 million to support former President Olusegun Obasanjo's third term agenda. He stated that Aminu Masari, the Speaker of the House at the time, also declined a N400 million offer.

The third term agenda was a contentious issue during Obasanjo's presidency from 1999 to 2007, culminating in the National Assembly's rejection of a constitutional amendment bill in May 2006 that would have allowed Obasanjo to seek a third term. Aliyu mentioned that during discussions about the agenda, Nuhu Ribadu, then chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), invited him to Abuja for a meeting with Obasanjo.

Although Aliyu initially declined, he later met with Obasanjo and expressed his belief that the third term bid would fail. He noted that lawmakers were offered a minimum of N50 million to support the agenda.

Key figures such as Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar, and George Akume played significant roles in opposing the third term proposal.