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Obasanjo bombs Atiku: You’re my biggest mistake

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo called his decision to select Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in 1999 his biggest presidential mistake.
  • Obasanjo stated that if he had known Abubakar's later actions, he would not have chosen him.
  • Despite their turbulent political history, Obasanjo expressed no personal bitterness, attributing outcomes to divine intervention and individual actions.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has publicly declared that choosing Atiku Abubakar as his vice presidential running mate in the 1999 election was the "biggest mistake" of his presidency. Obasanjo made this candid assessment during a fireside conversation with entertainer Charles Oputa, also known as Charly Boy, at the launch of Charly Boy's foundation and memoir in Lagos.

What I have found in my own life is that mistakes that could have been fatal, God had taken care of them for me.

— Olusegun ObasanjoFormer President Olusegun Obasanjo reflecting on mistakes made during his presidency.

Serving together from 1999 to 2007, Obasanjo stated that while all leaders make errors, his choice of vice president was the one he most regretted. He asserted that he would not have selected Abubakar had he possessed the knowledge of his former deputy's character and actions that he gained later. "If I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him," Obasanjo remarked, emphasizing that divine intervention prevented Abubakar's actions from derailing his presidency or harming Nigeria.

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.

— Olusegun ObasanjoFormer President Olusegun Obasanjo identifying his biggest presidential regret.

Despite their often contentious political relationship over the years, Obasanjo insisted he held no personal animosity towards Abubakar. He framed their differing paths as a matter of individual choices and divine will. "There's no bitterness because he did what he believed he should do, and God did what God had to do, which enabled me to achieve what I was able to achieve," the former president added. This public statement marks one of the most direct and personal criticisms Obasanjo has leveled against his former second-in-command, reigniting discussions about a political rivalry that has significantly influenced Nigeria's democratic landscape for over two decades. Obasanjo and Abubakar were the first democratically elected President and Vice President after Nigeria's return to civilian rule in 1999, winning on the People's Democratic Party platform.

My vice president. I don’t know what name you want to give him, but my vice president, I mean that.

— Olusegun ObasanjoFormer President Olusegun Obasanjo clarifying his reference to Atiku Abubakar.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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