Orji Kalu: Obasanjo spoke to me about wanting third term — his denial a naked lie

Orji Kalu, senator representing Abia north, says former president Olusegun Obasanjo invited him to the presidential villa to inform him of his third-term ambition.

On September 20, at a Democracy Dialogue in Accra organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Obasanjo denied ever pursuing a third term in office.

The former president had said no Nigerian living or deceased can provide evidence to substantiate such claims.

“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian dead or alive that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” Obasanjo said.

Obasanjo served as Nigeria’s president from 1999 to 2007, the same period Kalu was governor of Abia state.

‘IT’S A NAKED LIE’

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Kalu said Obasanjo’s recent denial of the third term bid is “a naked lie”.

He claimed that Obasanjo had personally informed him and several governors of his plan to amend the constitution to stay in office beyond 2007.

“With due respect to President Obasanjo, what he said in Ghana was a naked lie, a naked fallacy,” Kalu said.

“Many people who were part of that period are still alive — David Mark is alive, others are alive. They know the truth.”

The Abia senator alleged that money was shared among lawmakers to gain support for the plan.

“Senator Uche Chukwumerije brought N50 million which they shared, and they asked me if I would take as a governor,” he said.

“I said no — go and give it back. Even the national security adviser (Nuhu Ribadu) would know Obasanjo was lying, he was at the centre of it all.”

Kalu said his refusal to support the plan led to a fallout between him and the former president.

“My quarrel with him started when I told Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and George Bush of the United States that Obasanjo was running for a third term,” he said.

“I even told Nelson Mandela, may his soul rest in peace. They all confronted him. I don’t know why Nigeria should be built on lies by statesmen.”

‘HE ALREADY CONVINCED SOME GOVERNORS’

Kalu said Obasanjo’s ambition was widely known among political leaders at the time.

“Of course, Obasanjo told me in the villa, that was the beginning. I told him it was not possible,” Kalu said.

“He had already convinced some governors, but people like me and a few others said no. I am a committed Christian. I took an oath with the Bible to serve for only eight years, and that was the end of it.”

He said Obasanjo often cited long-serving leaders like Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi to justify his desire to stay in power.

“He used to say Gaddafi was still there, others were still there,” Kalu said.

“But democracy is about the rule of law. The beauty of constitutional democracy is the time limits.

“If the constitution says eight years, nobody should go beyond that. Anyone who tries is inviting the wrath of God.

“He told many northern governors too. If those governors are courageous enough, they will say the truth.

“He wanted a third term, and we stopped him. He was even at loggerheads with Governor Peter Odili over it. The man cannot rewrite history — it is clear he wanted a third term.”

The lawmaker said his opposition to Obasanjo’s plan was motivated by respect for the constitution, not personal animosity.

“We stopped him because of the constitution,” he said.

“Our constitution is supreme. Even the US government under President George Bush supported efforts to stop him. History will remember that some of us stood for democracy.”