3rd term: How Bush, Mandela, others helped us in thwarting Obasanjo’s agenda - Kalu
- Former president George W Bush of the United States and late president Nelson Mandela of South Africa were said to have helped in thwarting Olusegun Obasanjo's third term agenda
- The disclosure was made by the Senate chief whip and former governor of Abia state, Orji Uzor Kalu
- Kalu says he reported Obasanjo to Bush and Mandela so they could put him to order
- The former governor says he also told another former president of South Africa, Thambo Mbeki, who he said was privy to the information
- Kalu says Mbeki told him Obasanjo sought his help to persuade him (Kalu) and others that were against the third term agenda
The Senate chief whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, has said that world leaders like former president George W Bush of the United States and late president Nelson Mandela of South Africa joined forces against ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo's third term agenda.
Kalu, who made the revelation in his autobiography, titled My Life, said that another former South African president Thabo Mbeki told him (Kalu) that Obasanjo discussed his third term agenda with him on the sidelines of a United Nations meeting, The Sun reports.
Legit.ng gathers that the former Abia state governor said he was the one that reported Obasanjo's third term ambition to Bush and Mandela.
He said: “I was, perhaps, one of the first persons to raise the alarm about the third term ambition of the President, back in August 2005, through a press statement.
"I stated that those who misled General Abacha were active participants in his administration and were goading him to find means to perpetuate himself in office as they did to Abacha.
“But a lot of people castigated me, saying there was no truth in what I said. My response was, if there was no truth in my statement, if indeed the President was not interested in a third term, his actions, words and deeds did not indicate that to me."
Kalu said that after reporting Obasanjo to Mandela, the latter called the ex-president in his presence, but he denied nursing such agenda.
The lawmaker said: “I also told President Thabo Mbeki. Mbeki agreed with me and said Obasanjo mentioned something like that to him in New York on the sidelines of UN General Assembly meeting and that he (Mbeki) should help him get me and a few other people to support the idea to build a very strong democracy in Nigeria .
“…Bush told me it would not happen, that US would not allow anything that would bring disunity or political conflict in Nigeria."
Kalu accused the former president of paying each senator N50m to vote for his third term agenda.
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He said: "Sen. Uche Chukwumerije was of huge assistance to us. Obasanjo broke the Central Bank of Nigeria open and gave each senator N50m to vote for third term. Chukwumerije brought his own to Abia liaison office in Abuja to show me. I told him to return it to them."
Legit.ng previously reported that Orji Uzor Kalu, the Senate chief whip, revealed in details the key role played by late South African leader, Nelson Mandela, to compel former president Olusegun Obasanjo to drop his third term presidential agenda.
He said that the late African leader played a key role which forced Obasanjo to drop the idea of amending the Nigerian constitution to enable him contest for a third term.
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Source: Legit.ng
