Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a fierce rebuttal against former President Olusegun Obasanjo, declaring that he has no apology for frustrating what he described as an unconstitutional third-term agenda and reminding the elder statesman that he personally fed and clothed him after his release from prison. Atiku's response, contained in a statement issued on Saturday, August 1, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, came barely 24 hours after Obasanjo publicly declared that picking Atiku as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election was the greatest mistake of his life.
Obasanjo had made the remark on Friday, July 31, during a fireside conversation with veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the public presentation of Charly Boy's foundation and memoir in Lagos. The former president also suggested that the money Atiku allegedly stole during their tenure could last for generations, a claim that has further deepened the long-standing animosity between the two men who once governed Nigeria together from 1999 to 2007.
Reacting to Obasanjo's outburst, Atiku accused his former principal of attempting to rewrite history and allowing personal resentment to cloud the facts of their political relationship. The former vice president, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general elections, said he watched Obasanjo's interview with profound sadness rather than anger, describing it as reflecting the disposition of a man who has allowed bitterness to distort historical truth.
Atiku traced the source of Obasanjo's hostility to his principled opposition to the alleged third-term agenda during the Obasanjo administration. He insisted that he had no regrets for standing by the Constitution and frustrating every attempt to subvert Nigeria's democracy for personal ambition. "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," Atiku declared. He added: "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."
Atiku argued that the fight against the third-term agenda was never a personal contest between him and Obasanjo but a defence of Nigeria's constitutional democracy for future generations. "The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict," he said.
Beyond the third-term controversy, Atiku reminded Obasanjo of the pivotal role he played in the former president's personal and political journey, particularly during and after his incarceration. "History records that while Chief Obasanjo was in prison, I stood firmly by him. I supported his family, worked tirelessly with other patriots for his release and never wavered in my belief that he deserved his freedom," Atiku said. He went further to recount how he received Obasanjo after his release from prison when the former military ruler 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," he stated.
Atiku also claimed that he mobilised political structures, built alliances, and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that ultimately culminated in Obasanjo's emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999. Despite the deterioration of their relationship, Atiku said he harboured no regrets over those acts of kindness. "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," he said. However, he warned that "gratitude should never be replaced with revisionism."
The former vice president also pointed to recent remarks by the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who he said publicly paid glowing tribute to the economic management team he led during the Obasanjo administration, describing it as among the best Nigeria has ever produced. Atiku questioned the timing of Obasanjo's fresh attack, coming barely 24 hours after Okonjo-Iweala's comments. "Whether or not the timing is merely coincidental is for Nigerians to judge. What is beyond dispute, however, is that while distinguished Nigerians who served at the highest levels continue to acknowledge my contributions to one of Nigeria's most successful periods of economic management, Chief Obasanjo appears determined to diminish them," he said.
Atiku expressed disappointment that a former president would devote so much energy to recycling old grudges at a time when Nigeria is grappling with economic hardship, unemployment, and insecurity. He insisted that the 2027 elections should focus on rebuilding the country rather than reopening old wounds. He also noted that he had exercised restraint over the years out of respect for the office Obasanjo once held, but stressed that such restraint had its limits. "Chief Obasanjo is entitled to his opinions. He is entitled to his personal grievances. What he is not entitled to are his own facts. History is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten," Atiku declared.
The exchange marks the latest chapter in one of Nigeria's most enduring political feuds. Obasanjo and Atiku, who were once close allies, fell out during their second term in office over political disagreements, including Atiku's failed bid to succeed Obasanjo in 2003 and his later alliance with the opposition. Despite occasional reconciliations, the animosity between the two has never fully healed. Obasanjo's latest broadside, coming just months before the 2027 presidential election, is widely seen as an attempt to undermine Atiku's credibility as a presidential candidate. However, Atiku's defiant response suggests that the former vice president is determined to fight back, using his opposition to the third-term agenda as evidence of his commitment to constitutional democracy and his personal sacrifices as proof of his loyalty to the man who now seeks to diminish his legacy.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments