Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara has reiterated his claim of turning down a N250 million bribe offered to support the controversial third-term agenda during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
When questioned about the veracity of this claim in an excerpt of a YouTube interview series, Untold Stories with Adesuwa, released on Monday, Wabara firmly stated, “That’s very correct.”
He maintained his stance even when pressed further by the interviewer.
Wabara provided context to the political climate of that time, saying, “Then when they were saying they were distributing N50 million per senator, I didn’t believe it.”
The former Senate President also clarified a point about his departure from office.
“First of all, I was not removed by Obasanjo; I resigned,” Wabara asserted.
When the interviewer suggested there might have been pressure for his resignation, Wabara countered, “No, there was even no pressure.”
Highlighting the significance of rejecting the third-term agenda, Wabara stated, “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 and tyranny, and people like Buhari wouldn’t have emerged. Even the present Tinubu would not have emerged because Obasanjo would have still been there.”
Wabara discussed the broader implications of their acts as well as the continued struggles the Igbo people face, even though the complete interview has not been made public.
He said, “We have not been forgiven for what we did not cause, the Biafra War. It wasn’t our fault, but the propaganda is that the Igbos cannot be trusted.”
