Former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Farouq Aliyu, has claimed that he and former Speaker of the House, Aminu Masari, rejected a combined N650 million allegedly offered to secure their support for former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s bid for a third term in office.

Aliyu made the claim during the Naija Unfiltered podcast published on YouTube on Friday, insisting that the controversial third-term agenda was real despite Obasanjo’s repeated denials that he sought to extend his tenure beyond the constitutionally permitted two terms.

According to the former lawmaker, he was offered N250 million after Nuhu Ribadu, who was then chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, asked him to travel to Abuja for discussions concerning the third-term agenda. Aliyu said he initially declined but later agreed to meet with Obasanjo.

He claimed that Masari, who was Speaker at the time, was offered N400 million, while Abdul Ningi, then Majority Leader, was allegedly offered the same amount. Aliyu further alleged that other lawmakers were offered at least N50 million to support the proposal.

“Third term agenda was real. In fact, N250 million was given to me. I did not take it,” Aliyu said.

“Masari, who was the Speaker then, N400 million was offered. He did not take it. Abdul Ningi, the Majority Leader, N400 million was offered to him. He did not take it.”

He added: “N50 million was dashed to small fries. They paid minimum of N50 million.”

The proposed constitutional amendment was rejected by the National Assembly in May 2006. The amendment would have enabled Obasanjo, who governed Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, to seek a third consecutive term.

Aliyu also attributed the defeat of the third-term bid to the roles played by former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume

The claims concerning the alleged payments were presented by Aliyu as recollections of events surrounding the 2006 constitutional amendment controversy.