Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has publicly declared that his decision to pick Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as his running mate for the 1999 presidential election remains the greatest mistake of his political career, a stunning admission that has reignited the long-running feud between Nigeria's two most prominent political figures from the Obasanjo-Atiku era. Obasanjo made the statement on Friday, July 31, 2026, during a fireside chat with maverick musician and activist Charly Boy in Lagos, at an event held to unveil Charly Boy's foundation and his memoir, "999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa".
When Charly Boy asked the former president to name one mistake he made while in office, Obasanjo did not hesitate. "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," Obasanjo replied. When Charly Boy sought clarification on whether he was referring to Atiku, Obasanjo responded: "My vice president. I don't know what name you want to give him, but my vice president, I mean that". He elaborated: "I would say the greatest mistake I made was picking Atiku Abubakar as my vice president in 1999. Of course, what I know about him later — well, thank God — because God did not allow his actions and reactions to overwhelm me, or to divert my own focus from Nigeria, or to harm Nigeria even".
The former president, however, insisted that he held no bitterness over the events that transpired during and after their time in office. "There is no bitterness in me over what happened," Obasanjo said. "Despite everything, I was able to achieve what I set out to achieve while in power". He added that while Atiku "did things he believed he should do," God "did the things God had to do, which enabled me to achieve what I was able to achieve".
The remark represents a significant escalation in the ongoing war of words between the two former allies, coming just weeks after Obasanjo accused Atiku of bribing the late Speaker Ghali Umar Na'Abba to impeach him during his first term. Atiku had fired back, accusing Obasanjo of secretly working against his 2027 presidential ambitions while publicly rooting for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Obasanjo and Atiku were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 and served together until 2007, but their relationship soured during Obasanjo's second term over political disagreements, including Atiku's failed bid to succeed Obasanjo in 2003 and his later alliance with the opposition.
The fireside chat attracted several prominent figures, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku; Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the NDC; business mogul Leo Stan Ekeh, who announced a donation of N20 million each on behalf of Obasanjo and Chief Anyaoku; book reviewer Dr Austin Tam-George; and veteran broadcaster Bisi Olatilo. The event also provided an opportunity for Obasanjo to reflect on his ancestry, dismissing doubts over his origin by stating that his parents hailed from Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. "I still know our family house there," he said.
Obasanjo's latest broadside comes at a critical juncture in Nigeria's political calendar, with the 2027 presidential election drawing closer and Atiku positioning himself as one of the leading contenders on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The former president's public admission that picking Atiku was his greatest mistake is likely to be interpreted as a deliberate attempt to undermine Atiku's credibility and sway public opinion against him. The remark also reinforces the perception that Obasanjo, despite his advancing age, remains a formidable force in Nigerian politics, capable of shaping the narrative around key political figures through carefully timed public statements.
The feud between Obasanjo and Atiku has been a recurring theme in Nigerian politics for over two decades, marked by periods of bitter confrontation and uneasy reconciliation. In 2019, Obasanjo had appeared to mend fences with Atiku, even endorsing him for president, but the latest exchange suggests that the old wounds have been reopened as the 2027 elections approach. Whether Obasanjo's latest salvo will have any impact on Atiku's electoral fortunes remains to be seen, but it has undoubtedly added a new layer of drama to the already charged political atmosphere. For now, the former president has made his position clear: choosing Atiku Abubakar as his vice president was a mistake he would not repeat, and he is not afraid to say so.
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