Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The long-simmering political war between Nigeria's former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his estranged deputy, Atiku Abubakar, has erupted once again, with the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accusing his former boss of sustaining a "campaign of lies, political manipulation and orchestrated deceit" against him for more than two decades. In a blistering statement issued on Sunday, August 9, 2026, Atiku's Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, declared that Obasanjo's latest allegations—revived on July 23—are "falling apart like a pack of cards". The accusation centres on Obasanjo's claim that Atiku mobilised the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na'Abba, to initiate impeachment proceedings against him during their tenure between 1999 and 2007.
Ibe described the allegation as particularly callous because Na'Abba, who died in December 2023, can no longer defend himself. "He knows that the only way that Na'Abba would be able to respond to the malicious allegation is by a divine miracle in which the former Speaker is raised from the dead," the statement said. Atiku's camp insisted that Obasanjo's pattern of reviving allegations of corruption, betrayal and political misconduct during election cycles is a calculated attempt to undermine his former deputy's presidential ambition.
To substantiate their rebuttal, Atiku's team cited three key pieces of counter-evidence. First, they referenced Hon. Abubakar Bawa Bwari, who served as Chief Whip of the House of Representatives during the 1999-2007 sessions. According to Ibe, Bwari has contradicted Obasanjo's account, stating that Na'Abba never sought the former president's removal and that Atiku actually acted as Obasanjo's envoy to lawmakers. Second, the Atiku camp challenged the long-circulating narrative that Obasanjo knelt before Atiku to secure support for his second-term bid in 2003. Citing a trending video from that era, Ibe quoted former Abia State Governor Orji Kalu, who said it was Atiku who knelt before 17 PDP governors to pledge loyalty to Obasanjo. "Atiku knelt down, we were like 17 governors. He knelt down for us and said that he does not want to be disloyal to Obasanjo. That four years is like four days," Kalu was quoted as saying. Kalu further revealed that PDP governors had been preparing to upstage Obasanjo because of his dictatorial tendencies, but Atiku refused to betray him.
Third, the statement revisited the controversy surrounding the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) in the lead-up to the 2007 election. Obasanjo had written to the Senate to investigate Atiku over alleged diversion of PTDF funds. Ibe said Atiku temporarily waived his immunity and presented himself for the probe, insisting the funds were secure in fixed deposit accounts and that the allegations were politically motivated because of his opposition to Obasanjo's third-term agenda. The statement also drew from the autobiography of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, who alleged that Obasanjo used the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under Nuhu Ribadu to harass Globacom Chairman Mike Adenuga in a bid to link him to the PTDF funds and, by extension, to Atiku.
The latest exchange is the most recent chapter in a feud that has defined Nigerian politics for over two decades. Atiku has repeatedly maintained that Obasanjo's resentment stems from his refusal to support the former president's controversial third-term agenda. The feud has also had tangible political consequences. Multiple ADC sources told Naija News that the Obasanjo-Atiku rift helped fracture the ADC-led opposition coalition, forcing Peter Obi out of the alliance ahead of 2027. Shehu Sani, a former federal lawmaker, has even suggested that the fight "will continue until one of them dies".
As the 2027 elections approach, the war of words between these two political titans shows no sign of abating. Atiku's camp has made it clear that they will not allow Obasanjo's allegations to go unchallenged, and they are prepared to meet every claim with counter-evidence. For now, the former vice president has drawn a line in the sand: the 20-year campaign of lies, he insists, is finally crumbling. Whether this latest salvo will sway voters or merely deepen the personal animosity between two of Nigeria's most influential political figures remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the battle for the soul of Nigeria's opposition is being fought not just on policy, but on the battlefield of history itself.
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