…“I clothed, fed you; chose Nigeria over you” – Atiku replies
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his decision to choose Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest political mistake of his life, prompting a strong rebuttal from the former vice president, who accused his ex-boss of attempting to rewrite history out of bitterness over the failed third-term agenda.
Obasanjo made the remark on Friday in Lagos, during a fireside chat with veteran entertainer and activist Charly Boy at the unveiling of Charly Boy’s foundation and memoir: ‘1999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa’.
Reflecting on his years in office, Obasanjo said that, with the benefit of hindsight, choosing Atiku as vice-president was his biggest political error. “I would say the greatest mistake I made was picking Atiku Abubakar as my vice-president in 1999”, he said.
Despite the breakdown in their relationship, Obasanjo insisted he harboured no bitterness, maintaining that their disagreements did not derail his administration, or prevent him from achieving his objectives while in office. He also addressed recurring questions about his ancestry, affirming that both his parents were from Abeokuta in Ogun State and that he still knows the location of his ancestral home.
The event was attended by several prominent personalities, including Emeka Anyaoku, Peter Obi, businessman Leo Stan Ekeh, Dr. Austin Tam-George and veteran broadcaster, Bisi Olatilo. During the event, Leo Stan Ekeh announced donations of ₦20 million each on behalf of Obasanjo and Anyaoku in support of the newly launched Foundation.
However, responding in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku dismissed Obasanjo’s comments as another failed attempt to rewrite history, saying he watched the interview “with profound sadness, not anger”.
The 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) insisted that Obasanjo’s hostility toward him stemmed from his refusal to support the former president’s alleged third-term ambition. “I am proud that I stood against the third-term agenda. I am proud that I stood by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition”, Atiku said.
“If Chief Obasanjo’s bitterness stems from my refusal to support an unconstitutional third term, then I wear that resentment as a badge of honour. No individual, regardless of his status or accomplishments, is bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution is supreme, and I chose Nigeria over personal loyalty”.
Recalling their long political relationship, Atiku claimed he stood firmly behind Obasanjo during his imprisonment, supported his family and helped him rebuild his life after his release. According to him, Obasanjo had little to his name after leaving prison, and he personally ensured the former president lacked nothing. “When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for and extended every support necessary to help him regain his footing”, Atiku stated.
He further claimed he mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that culminated in Obasanjo’s emergence as Nigeria’s president in 1999, adding that he had no regrets over those actions because acts of kindness should not be treated as commercial transactions.
Atiku maintained that the struggle against the third-term agenda was about defending Nigeria’s constitutional democracy rather than a personal battle between two individuals, stressing that history had already delivered its verdict.
Expressing disappointment that a former president was revisiting old political disputes while Nigerians grapple with economic hardship, insecurity and unemployment, the former VP argued that the 2027 election should focus on rebuilding the country instead of reopening old wounds. While insisting he had remained restrained out of respect for the office Obasanjo once occupied, Atiku said that restraint should not be mistaken for weakness. “Chief Obasanjo is entitled to his opinions. He is entitled to his personal grievances. What he is not entitled to are his own facts”, he said.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to Nigeria’s future, declaring that “history is stubborn” and cannot be rewritten by bitterness, adding that both history and the Nigerian people would ultimately deliver the final verdict.
