Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday reignited his long-running political rift with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, declaring that selecting him as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election was the biggest mistake he made while serving as Nigeria’s president.
Obasanjo made the remark during a fireside chat with veteran entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the unveiling of Charly Boy’s foundation and his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
Responding to a question on the greatest mistake of his presidency, the former Nigerian leader said he would never have chosen Atiku as his deputy if he had known him as well then as he did later in office.
He said, “The man I picked as my running mate, my number two—if I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him.”
When Charly Boy sought clarification by asking whether he was referring to Atiku, Obasanjo replied, “My vice president. I don’t know what name you want to give him, but my vice president, I mean that.
“If I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him. Thank God his actions and reactions did not overwhelm me or divert my focus from Nigeria. There is no bitterness. He did what he believed he should do, and God did what He needed to do, which enabled me to achieve what I was able to achieve.”
The latest comments are expected to deepen the renewed exchange of words between the two former allies ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Obasanjo and Atiku, who jointly won the 1999 and 2003 presidential elections on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, fell out during their second term in office over political and constitutional disagreements.
Their feud, which dominated Nigeria’s political landscape between 2003 and 2007, led to several legal battles before both men later reconciled.
However, relations have again deteriorated in recent weeks after Obasanjo accused Atiku of attempting to bribe the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, to facilitate his impeachment while he was president.
The former president also blamed Atiku for the defeat of several South-West governors during the 2003 general election, alleging that their alliance with the former vice president contributed to their political downfall.
Atiku, one of the leading contenders in the 2027 presidential race, fired back by accusing Obasanjo of publicly backing the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, while allegedly working behind the scenes to advance the interest of another South-West politician.
Meanwhile, Obasanjo also reflected on his role during the Nigerian Civil War, rejecting claims that the conflict amounted to genocide.
According to him, the military campaign was solely aimed at preserving Nigeria’s unity.
Describing the war as a painful period for all Nigerians, Obasanjo said he deliberately took steps to minimise civilian casualties.
Using the recapture of Owerri as an example, he explained that he avoided bombing the city directly to protect innocent residents.
“I did not drop a single bomb inside Owerri because it would have been destructive and would have killed innocent civilians. I dropped my bombs short of Owerri and beyond Owerri to warn people that we were coming,” he said.
At the time of filing this report, Atiku had not publicly responded to Obasanjo’s latest remarks.
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