Farouq Aliyu, a former minority leader of the House of Representatives, has alleged that he turned down N250 million offered to secure his support for former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s controversial third-term bid.
Aliyu made the disclosure while speaking on the ‘Naija Unfiltered’ podcast, published on YouTube on Friday.
Obasanjo’s alleged third-term ambition was among the most contentious issues of his administration, which lasted from 1999 to 2007.
In May 2006, the National Assembly rejected a constitutional amendment bill that would have enabled Obasanjo to seek a third consecutive term.
Obasanjo has consistently denied pursuing a third term. In September 2025, he said he never had such an ambition, adding that if he had wanted a third term, he knew how to achieve it.
However, Aliyu maintained during the podcast that the third-term agenda was genuine despite Obasanjo’s repeated denials.
According to him, Nuhu Ribadu, who was then chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asked him to travel to Abuja for a meeting with Obasanjo as discussions over the proposed constitutional amendment intensified.
Aliyu said he initially declined Ribadu’s request but eventually agreed to meet the former president.
He said that during the meeting, he was asked about the third-term proposal and made it clear that he believed the attempt would fail.
The former lawmaker further alleged that he was subsequently offered N250 million by an individual Ribadu had directed him to meet. He did not disclose the person’s identity during the interview.
Aliyu also claimed that Aminu Masari, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives at the time, rejected an offer of N400 million to support the third-term bid.
He further alleged that lawmakers received offers starting from N50 million to back the proposal.
“Third term agenda was real. In fact, 250 million was given to me. I did not take it,” he said.
“Masari, who was the speaker then, 400 million was offered. He did not take it. Abdul Ningi, the majority leader, 400 million naira was offered to him. He did not take it.
“N50 million was dashed to small fries. They paid minimum of N50 million.”
Aliyu also credited late former President Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and George Akume, who was secretary to the government of the federation at the time, with playing significant roles in opposing the attempt to secure a third term for Obasanjo.
