Obasanjo Lied, He told Me About Wanting A Third Term –Orji Kalu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Orji Kalu, senator representing Abia North, has stated that former president Olusegun Obasanjo invited him to the presidential villa to tell him of his third-term ambition.

The African Examiner recalls that on September 20, at a Democracy Dialogue in Accra organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Obasanjo refuted claims that he ever pushed for a third term in office.

The former president stated that no Nigerian living or deceased, can bring evidence to substantiate the claim.

“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.

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

According to him, Obasanjo had personally informed him and other governors of his plan to amend the constitution so that he could 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, and others are alive. They know the truth.”

The Abia lawmaker also alleged that money was shared among lawmakers to get their support for the plan.

“Senator Uche Chukwumerije brought N50 million, which they shared, and they asked me if I would take it 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 stated that his refusal to support the plan caused 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.

“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 stated that Obasanjo referred to long-serving leaders like Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi to justify his position 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 tell 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.

“We stopped him because of the Constitution.

“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.”

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