Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has reminded former President Olusegun Obasanjo that he fed, clothed, and stood by him during his years in prison, dismissing Obasanjo’s latest public outburst against him as yet another failed attempt to rewrite history.
Atiku, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, insisted that no amount of bitterness can erase either the constitutional stand he took against the third-term agenda or the role he played in Obasanjo’s personal and political journey.
Atiku said he watched the former President’s interview with profound sadness rather than anger, describing it as reflecting the disposition of a man who has allowed personal resentment to cloud historical truth.
“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,” he said.
“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 said the struggle against the third-term agenda was never about two individuals but about preserving 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, adding that it was unfortunate that the same man whose unconstitutional ambition was resisted now seeks to sit in judgment over those who defended the Constitution.
He noted that barely twenty-four hours before Obasanjo’s outburst, WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had publicly praised the economic management team he led, describing it as “the best Nigeria has ever had.”
“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.
“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,” he said, “speaks for itself, and so do the testimonies of those who worked closely with that administration.”
Atiku said Nigerians also deserve to remember the other side of history that Obasanjo “conveniently omits.”
“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,” he said.
“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 said he harbours no regrets over any of it. “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.
(The Whistler)
