The All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified its criticism of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, citing former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent remarks about his former deputy as further justification for Nigerians to reject the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate in the 2027 election.
The ruling party argued that Obasanjo’s assessment of Atiku carries significant weight because it comes from someone who worked closely with him for eight years at the highest level of government.
The latest exchange followed comments made by Obasanjo during a fireside conversation in Lagos on Friday with veteran entertainer and social activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, where the former president described selecting Atiku as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake of his presidency.
Recalling that decision, Obasanjo said: “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.”
The latest criticism adds to years of public disagreements between the two former leaders, whose political relationship deteriorated while serving in office between 1999 and 2007, eventually leading to Atiku’s departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Action Congress in 2006.
Reacting to Obasanjo’s latest remarks, APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said the former president was uniquely positioned to assess Atiku’s character because of their years together in government.
According to Basiru: “Obasanjo has said so many things about Atiku, and he is in a position to know who the former vice president is.
“Obasanjo’s comments are a warning to Nigerians. So, no serious Nigerian should take Atiku seriously or give him another leadership opportunity. Obasanjo has said Atiku was corrupt, disloyal and many things.
“In any event, Obasanjo is not supporting the APC; he is supporting the other people. But his statement about Atiku is from a position of knowledge because he knows him very well. So, in the interest of the country, no Nigerian should take Atiku seriously.”
The APC maintained that the former president’s remarks should serve as a caution to voters ahead of the 2027 presidential election, insisting that Atiku’s political history and repeated movement between political parties reinforce concerns about his leadership credentials.
However, Atiku dismissed Obasanjo’s comments, insisting they would not affect his chances in the 2027 presidential race.
The former vice president also urged the former president to rise above personal grievances, accusing him of allowing lingering resentment over the failed third-term agenda to shape his public comments and attempting to rewrite Nigeria’s political history.
Despite the renewed war of words, the exchange underscores the enduring political rivalry between Obasanjo and Atiku, one that has remained a defining feature of Nigeria’s political landscape nearly two decades after they left office.
(Ripples)