I Chose Nigeria Over Personal Loyalty – Atiku Hits Back At Obasanjo Over ‘Biggest Mistake’ Remark

• Obasanjo rekindles long-running political feud, describing his decision to choose Atiku Abubakar as running mate in 1999 as “the greatest mistake” of his political career.

• Atiku rejects the claim, insisting he chose “Nigeria over personal loyalty” by opposing the controversial third-term agenda and defending the Constitution.

• Former vice president recounts his role in Obasanjo’s political resurgence, claiming he supported the former military ruler during imprisonment and helped mobilise the alliances that produced his presidency.

• Atiku accuses Obasanjo of rewriting history, saying independent assessments have acknowledged his contributions to Nigeria’s economic reforms during the 1999–2007 administration.

August 01, () — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a blistering rebuttal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo after the elder statesman described selecting him as running mate in the 1999 presidential election as “the greatest mistake” of his political life.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accused Obasanjo of attempting to rewrite history and defended his role in protecting Nigeria’s democracy by opposing what he described as the unconstitutional third-term agenda pursued during the closing years of the Obasanjo administration.

The exchange marks the latest chapter in the long-running rivalry between the two former leaders who jointly governed Nigeria between 1999 and 2007 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before falling out over succession Politics and constitutional amendments.

Obasanjo reignited the decades-old dispute on Friday while speaking at a fireside chat with maverick musician and activist Charly Boy during the unveiling of the latter’s foundation and memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, in Lagos.

Reflecting on his years in office, the former president said hindsight had convinced him that nominating Atiku as his deputy remained his greatest political miscalculation.

“I would say the greatest mistake I made was picking Atiku Abubakar as my vice president in 1999”, Obasanjo declared.

Despite the criticism, Obasanjo maintained that he harboured no bitterness towards his former deputy.

“There is no bitterness in me over what happened. Despite everything, I was able to achieve what I set out to achieve while in power”, he said.

The former president also addressed longstanding speculation about his ancestry, insisting that both his parents hailed from Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The event attracted several prominent Nigerians, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, business mogul Leo Stan Ekeh, veteran broadcaster Bisi Olatilo and political analyst Dr Austin Tam-George.

Atiku: I Defended Nigeria, Not Personal Interests

Responding in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said he watched Obasanjo’s comments with “profound sadness, not anger”, describing them as another failed attempt to distort historical facts.

According to the former vice president, the root of Obasanjo’s resentment lies in his refusal to support the alleged third-term project, a position he said he remains proud of.

“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. 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”, he added.

Atiku argued that the struggle against the third-term proposal was not a personal contest between two politicians but a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.

“The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict.”

The former vice president also challenged Obasanjo’s narrative by recounting what he described as his own contributions to the former president’s personal and political journey.

According to Atiku, he remained loyal to Obasanjo while the former military Head of State was incarcerated, supporting his family and working with other patriots to secure his release.

He further claimed that after Obasanjo regained his freedom, he provided financial assistance and political support that helped reposition him for the presidency.

“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. Beyond that, I mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that culminated in his emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.

Atiku, however, insisted he had no regrets over those actions.

“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.”

Seeking to reinforce his record in office, Atiku referred to recent remarks credited to World Trade Organisation Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who reportedly described the economic management team under the Obasanjo administration as one of the best Nigeria had assembled.

Atiku argued that such recognition affirmed his contributions to Nigeria’s economic reforms despite Obasanjo’s criticism.

“Chief Obasanjo may choose not to appreciate my role in building one of Nigeria’s most prosperous economic eras, but history has been far kinder. The record speaks for itself, and so do the testimonies of those who worked closely with that administration.”

The ADC presidential candidate said he found it disappointing that, at a time of widespread economic hardship, insecurity and unemployment, a former president would devote attention to reopening old political disputes. He argued that national leaders should instead be focused on charting a path out of the country’s current challenges.

“The 2027 election should be about rebuilding Nigeria, restoring security, reviving the economy and giving hope to the next generation—not reopening old political wounds.”

Atiku also revealed that he had deliberately refrained from publicly responding to previous attacks by Obasanjo out of respect for the office he once occupied, but warned that such restraint should not be mistaken for weakness.

“There comes a point when silence in the face of repeated distortions of history ceases to be a virtue. 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.

Reaffirming his political priorities, Atiku said he remained committed to national renewal rather than personal vendettas.

“I have chosen the path of service over resentment, vision over vendetta and national renewal over personal recrimination.”

He concluded with a pointed reminder that history would ultimately judge both men on the basis of facts rather than personal narratives.

“History is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten by bitterness, nor erased by repeated falsehoods. In the end, history will render its verdict—and so will the Nigerian people.”