Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his decision to choose Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency, drawing a swift response from the former vice president.
Obasanjo made the remark on Friday during a fireside chat with entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the unveiling of the Charly Boy Foundation and the launch of Oputa’s memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, in Lagos.
‘I Would Not Have Picked Him’
When asked to identify the biggest mistake he made while in office, Obasanjo said every leader makes mistakes but singled out his choice of vice president.
“Mistake when I was in government. 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,” he said.
When Charly Boy sought clarification by asking if 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.”
He added that despite their differences, he remained grateful that the situation did not derail his administration.
“Thank God that God did not allow his actions and reactions to overwhelm me, divert my focus from Nigeria or harm Nigeria. And there’s no bitterness, because he did things he believed he should do, and God did the things God had to do, which enabled me to achieve what I was able to achieve,” he said.
Atiku Defends His Role
Responding on Saturday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku rejected Obasanjo’s comments, describing them as an attempt to rewrite history.
He maintained that he has no regrets over opposing the controversial third-term agenda during the Obasanjo administration.
“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,” the statement read.
According to Atiku, if Obasanjo’s criticism stems from his refusal to support a third-term bid, he considers it a badge of honour.
“The battle was never about two individuals but about preserving Nigeria’s constitutional democracy for future generations. The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict,” he added.
‘I Don’t Regret Helping Obasanjo’
Atiku also recalled supporting Obasanjo during his imprisonment under the late General Sani Abacha, saying he worked for his release and stood by his family.
“Do I regret helping Chief Obasanjo? Absolutely not. When God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not commercial transactions. Gratitude should never be replaced with revisionism,” he said.
The latest exchange revives the long-standing political rivalry between the two former allies, whose partnership helped usher in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic before collapsing over succession politics and constitutional disputes.
