By Aloysius Umalo, Makurdi
The role of former Benue State Governor and current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, in the 2006 controversy over former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s proposed third-term bid has again come under public attention following fresh comments by former House of Representatives Minority Leader, Farouk Aliyu.
Aliyu, in a recent interview, recalled the intense political battle surrounding the proposed constitutional amendments that would have enabled Obasanjo, who served as President from 1999 to 2007, to seek a third consecutive term.
He specifically credited former military Head of State Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Akume, who was then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, among political figures who played roles in frustrating the proposal.
The former lawmaker also alleged that financial inducements were offered to some lawmakers to secure their support for the proposed constitutional changes.
Aliyu claimed that he personally rejected an alleged offer of N250 million, while alleging that then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, and Majority Leader Abdul Ningi were also offered substantial sums.
He further alleged that other lawmakers were offered at least N50 million.
The allegations concerning the alleged financial inducements remain claims made by Aliyu in his recollection of the events.
He did not identify the person he said offered him the N250 million, while former President Obasanjo has consistently denied pursuing a third term in office.
What is established is that the proposed constitutional amendments were rejected by the National Assembly in May 2006, effectively ending the attempt to alter the constitutional framework that would have enabled Obasanjo to remain in office beyond 2007.
Obasanjo subsequently completed his two terms and handed over to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007.
Akume was Governor of Benue State from 1999 to 2007 before proceeding to the Senate, where he represented Benue North-West and later served as Senate Minority Leader.
He subsequently served as Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs before his appointment as SGF in 2023.
The renewed discussion of the 2006 episode places Akume’s political career within one of the significant constitutional controversies of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
Beyond the offices he has occupied, the episode has continued to attract attention because it involved questions about constitutional limits, the independence of political institutions and the responsibilities of public officials when major changes to the nation’s political system are proposed.
For Akume, the latest recollections by Aliyu add another dimension to the record of a political career spanning the governorship of Benue, the Senate, ministerial service and his current role as the nation’s SGF.
