- Obasanjo called choosing Atiku his biggest mistake
- He said he would have made a different choice
- The remarks revive their long-running political feud
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his decision to select former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake of his time in office.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Obasanjo made the remark on Friday in Lagos during a fireside conversation with veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the launch of Charly Boy’s foundation and memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
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Reflecting on his years as president, Obasanjo said every leader makes mistakes, but maintained that his choice of a vice president remained the decision he regretted most.
According to him, he would not have picked Atiku if he had known then what he later came to know about him.
Speaking during the discussion, Obasanjo said God had helped him overcome mistakes that could have had serious consequences during his administration.
When asked by Charly Boy to identify the single biggest mistake of his presidency, the former leader pointed to the choice of his deputy.
“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.
After Charly Boy sought confirmation that he was referring to Atiku Abubakar, Obasanjo replied that he was speaking about his vice president.
He added that despite the challenges that emerged during their working relationship, he remained grateful that events did not derail his administration or negatively affect the country.
Obasanjo also stressed that he holds no personal bitterness against Atiku, saying both men acted according to their convictions while he remained focused on governing Nigeria.
The comments revive the long-standing political rivalry between the two leaders, whose relationship has shaped Nigeria’s democratic politics for more than two decades.
Obasanjo and Atiku were elected President and Vice President in 1999 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), marking Nigeria’s return to democratic rule after years of military government.
Although they initially worked closely, their relationship deteriorated during Obasanjo’s second term, particularly after Atiku opposed efforts by some of the president’s supporters to amend the Constitution to allow a third presidential term.
Their disagreement later developed into a prolonged political and legal battle after Atiku left the PDP for the Action Congress ahead of the 2007 elections.
The dispute eventually reached the Supreme Court, which ruled that the president had no constitutional authority to remove an elected vice president from office.
Since leaving government, both men have repeatedly exchanged accusations over issues including corruption, loyalty and political leadership, despite a brief reconciliation before the 2019 presidential election.
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