{
  "id": 419260,
  "title": "Atiku accuses Obasanjo of 20-year campaign of lies, deceit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/atiku-accuses-obasanjo-of-20-year-campaign-of-lies-deceit-419260",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-09T23:56:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/atiku-accuses-obasanjo-of-20-year-campaign-of-lies-deceit/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of launching a 20-year campaign of lies, political manipulation, and deceit against him. Atiku responded to Obasanjo's recent allegation that he mobilized the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na'Abba, to remove him from office during their tenure between 1999 and 2007. Ibe, Atiku's Media Adviser, stated that Obasanjo's claims were collapsing like a pack of cards and that Na'Abba, who passed away three years ago, could no longer respond to the allegations. The Atiku camp also disputed other narratives surrounding their relationship, including the 2003 presidential election and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund investigation. The Atiku camp cited several witnesses and accounts that contradicted Obasanjo's allegations, including former member of the House of Representatives Abubakar Bwari and former Abia State governor Orji Uzor Kalu.",
  "summary": "Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of a 20-year campaign of lies, political manipulation, and deceit, alleging that Obasanjo's latest claims against him are collapsing like a pack of cards. Atiku's Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, stated that Obasanjo's allegations of Na'Abba mobilising to remove him from office during their tenure (1999-2007) are malicious, as Na'Abba passed away nearly three years ago. Ibe also cited former House of Representatives member Abubakar Bwari, who contradicted Obasanjo's account, stating that Na'Abba never sought his removal and that Atiku acted as an emissary to lawmakers on his behalf. Additionally, Ibe highlighted a video where Orji Uzor Kalu confirmed that Atiku knelt before PDP governors to seek their support for Obasanjo's re-election, contradicting claims that Obasanjo had to kneel before Atiku. The Atiku camp further challenged another narrative surrounding the relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku during the 2003 presidential election, citing Kalu's account of Atiku declining to betray Obasanjo when he was almost elected president.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "Atiku accuses Obasanjo of 20-year campaign of lies, deceit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/atiku-accuses-obasanjo-of-20-year-campaign-of-lies-deceit",
        "published": "2026-08-09T23:40:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}