Why I refused N250m bribe for third term agenda – Wabara makes revelation

• Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara revealed he rejected a N250 million bribe aimed at persuading him to support pro-third term senators in 2006
• The third-term agenda, a pivotal event in Nigeria's democratic history, was a proposed constitutional amendment bill
• The chairman of the PDP’s Board of Trustees stated he has no regrets about rejecting the bribe, recounting how the money was delivered in a black G-Wagon

Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara has disclosed that he rejected a N250 million bribe intended to sway him to support pro-third term senators in 2006, citing his educational background as a key reason for his decision.

The third-term agenda, a significant event in Nigeria’s 25 years of uninterrupted democratic governance, emerged as a bill for a constitutional amendment.

Former Senate president, Adolphus Wabara, speaks on N250m bribe for 3rd term agenda Photo credit: Adolphus Wabara
Source: Facebook

In an excerpt from the YouTube interview series “Untold Stories with Adesuwa,” released on Monday, July 1 and shared on an X handle, @OneJoblessBoy, Wabara, now the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Board of Trustees, stated that he has no regrets about rejecting the bribe.

He said:

"I declined a N250 million bribe to support the third term agenda. The money arrived at 1:30 a.m. in a black G-Wagon and a rickety 504 station wagon. My wife witnessed the delivery."

Implication of the 3rd term agenda?

That bill, however, would have allowed then-President Olusegun Obasanjo to run for a third term.

Pro-Obasanjo senators had orchestrated efforts to push the third-term agenda, while anti-Obasanjo factions mobilized against it, as reported by Daily Trust.

The 'Oh, my people' speech

Wabara, who had resigned as Senate president in 2005 amid a budget scandal, revitalized his political career with a powerful speech in the Senate that many believe influenced the subsequent voting.

He said:

"Ordinarily, I would have considered this bill, but my people, oh my people, have asked me to vote against it."

Wabara declared in what became known as the "Oh my people" moment.

His speech resonated widely, especially since many had expected him to support the third-term agenda due to his ongoing budget scandal case.

He credited his education in the Soviet Union, where he was taught to abhor corruption, as a major influence on his decision.

The video below:

Wabara speaks on the Igbo presidency

In another report, the current chairman of the board of trustees for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former senate president, Dr. Adolphus Wabara, expressed regret that he may not live long enough to witness an Igbo individual assume the presidency in Nigeria.

Legit.ng reported that he attributed this concern to what he perceives as deliberate political manoeuvres working against the Igbo community.

Source: Legit.ng