According to Vanguard, Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara has disclosed that he rejected a bribe of N250 million to support the third-term agenda during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. This revelation came during an episode of the YouTube interview series “Untold Stories with Adesuwa,” which was released on Monday. When questioned about the veracity of this claim, Wabara affirmed its accuracy without hesitation.
The third-term agenda was a critical juncture in Nigeria’s 25-year streak of uninterrupted democracy. The proposed constitutional amendment sought to permit then-President Olusegun Obasanjo to seek a third term in office. This move stirred significant controversy and opposition, highlighting the importance of adhering to democratic principles and the constitutional term limits. The rejection of this agenda was seen as a victory for democratic integrity in Nigeria.
In the interview, Wabara elaborated on his experience, mentioning that he was approached with a bribe of N250 million, delivered to him in a G-Wagon at 1:20 a.m. While he expressed skepticism about reports that some senators were offered N50 million, his own account of the bribe attempt underscores the lengths to which proponents of the third-term agenda were willing to go. Wabara attributed his refusal to accept the bribe to his strong educational background and moral convictions.
Wabara emphasized the broader implications of rejecting the third-term agenda. He noted that had the agenda succeeded, it would have paved the way for a dictatorship, preventing subsequent leaders like Buhari and Tinubu from emerging. His decision, alongside others who resisted the third-term push, played a crucial role in preserving Nigeria’s democratic framework. This stance underscored the importance of individual actions in shaping the nation’s political landscape.
He said: “Without people like us, there wouldn’t be democracy now. Yes, if we had supported the third term, you know, I mean we would have had dictatorship, tyranny, and people like Buhari wouldn’t have emerged. Even the present Tinubu would not have emerged because Obasanjo would have still been there.