SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2026 | POLITICS
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said he would not have chosen former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election if he had known him as well as he later did during their years in office.
Reflecting on their political relationship, Obasanjo described his decision to pick Atiku as one of the greatest disappointments of his political career.
“The man I picked as my running mate, if I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him. Thank God his actions did not stop me from achieving what I wanted to do for Nigeria,” Obasanjo said.
The statement is the latest chapter in the long-running political rivalry between the two leaders, whose alliance helped usher in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic in 1999 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Atiku served as Vice President throughout Obasanjo’s two terms in office from 1999 to 2007.
Their relationship later deteriorated over major political disagreements, including the controversial third-term constitutional amendment debate, which Atiku opposed. The fallout eventually led to Atiku’s exit from the PDP ahead of the 2007 general elections.
Obasanjo’s latest remarks come days after he alleged that Atiku encouraged the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to initiate impeachment proceedings against him during his first term in office. He also claimed intelligence reports linked Atiku to the alleged plot.
In response, Atiku dismissed the allegations, describing them as recycled political claims aimed at tarnishing his image ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Through his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President insisted that the real cause of their fallout was his opposition to Obasanjo’s alleged third-term agenda. He maintained that he acted in defence of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy and remains focused on addressing the country’s economic and security challenges.
Political analysts say the renewed exchange of accusations highlights the continued influence of both statesmen on Nigeria’s political landscape as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to intensify.
REPORT: SUNTV Global Channel
