Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former president has come under attack over a recent comment he made on Nigerian lawmakers.
Obasanjo while reacting to the alleged budget padding scandal currently rocking the House of Representatives on Monday, July 25, 2016 said the event had confirmed his earlier claim that Nigerian lawmakers were rogues.
The former president’s statement however generated reactions from those directly involved, the lawmakers.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, July 26, 2016, the deputy Senate leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah dared the former president to prove evidence to back his claim.
The lawmaker stated that he had rejected Obasanjo’s N50 million inducement to subvert the Constitution and provide a constitutional framework for the third term ambition of the former president.
“My attention has been drawn to a purported statement attributed to former president Olusegun Obasanjo where he made a sweeping statement that there are no men of integrity in the National Assembly,” he said
“I am respectfully taking exception to the statement which I express the hope is not true.
“To start with, it is not in my character to join issues with elder statement who have had the privilege of superintending over the affairs of our great country Nigeria.
“This exception has become necessary in view of the enormity of the alleged statement to my person and integrity.
“If former president Obasanjo can come out with one proven record of corruption against me as a person I promised to vacate my seat as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“For the records I was the only member from Kebbi State who did not find it worthy at that time to collect the sum of N50 million as an inducement to subvert the Constitution and provide a constitutional framework for the third term ambition of president Obasanjo.
“I find this statement if it is true to be reckless and terrifying. The implication of the statement is to say that the entire over 170 million Nigerians have not elected a single person with integrity among the 469 members of the National Assembly.
“This is definitely rhapsodic and does not conform to commonsense and reason.”
Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday commenced screening for the 41 ambassadorial nominees. The event however took a dramatic turn when two nominees failed the National Anthem test.
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