It’s been widely believed that Obasanjo forced Wabara out of office in 2005 because he was believed to be nursing presidential ambition ahead of the 2007 elections.
However, Wabara who spoke in a YouTube interview series, Untold Stories with Adesuwa, rejected the suggestion that Obasanjo forced him out of office, noting that, “First of all, I was not removed by Obasanjo, I resigned.”
The interviewer then suggested that there might have been pressure for his resignation, to which Wabara countered, “No, there was even no pressure.”
The former Senate President said he rejected a N250 million bribe offered to support the controversial third-term agenda during Obasanjo’s administration.
When questioned about the veracity of this claim in the interview, Wabara stated, “That’s very correct.”
Wabara provided context to the political climate of that time, saying, “Then when they were saying they were distributing N50 million per Senator, I didn’t believe it.”
Highlighting the significance of rejecting the third-term agenda, Wabara stated, “Without people like us, there wouldn’t be democracy now. Yes, if we had supported the third term, you know, I mean we would have had dictatorship, tyranny, and people like Buhari wouldn’t have emerged. Even the present Tinubu would not have emerged because Obasanjo would have still been there.”
Wabara discussed the broader implications of their acts as well as the continued struggles the Igbo people face, even though the complete interview has not been made public.
He said, “We have not been forgiven for what we did not cause, the Biafra War. It wasn’t our fault, but the propaganda is that the Igbos cannot be trusted.”