Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North Senatorial District, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of lying about not seeking a third term in office during his presidency.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Kalu insisted that Obasanjo personally informed him of his third-term ambition while in office.
“What Obasanjo said in Ghana, that he never wanted a third term, was a lie,” Kalu declared. “He called me to the Villa and told me he wanted a third term, and I told him no. That’s why he started having issues with me. We stopped him with the help of former U.S. President Bush.”
The controversy began after Obasanjo, while speaking at the 2025 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Annual Democracy Dialogue in Accra, Ghana, denied ever pursuing a third term, describing the allegation as baseless.
The former President said his focus during his tenure (1999–2007) was national development, adding that securing Nigeria’s debt relief was a much more difficult task than any political ambition.
Kalu’s remarks have since reignited debate over Nigeria’s political history and the alleged third-term agenda that dominated discussions in the mid-2000s.
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