Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s electoral strength, saying he could not win his own state or the South-West during the 1999 presidential election.
Atiku stated this while speaking with journalists, amid his renewed war of words with Obasanjo over their political relationship and their respective roles in the former president’s emergence in 1999.
“In 1999, he could not even win his own state or the South-West; it was Arewa that made him President. He possesses no electoral value,” Atiku said.
The latest exchange is part of a renewed dispute between the former president and his former deputy, who have traded accusations over their political relationship and events surrounding the 1999–2007 administration.
The dispute intensified after Obasanjo described his decision to choose Atiku as his running mate in 1999 as the “biggest mistake” of his presidency, while accusing the former vice president of disloyalty and involvement in an alleged attempt to impeach him.
Atiku, however, rejected the former president’s account, accusing him of rewriting history and attempting to use the past for political advantage ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also defended his role in the administration, saying he supported Obasanjo after his release from prison and helped build the political structure that facilitated their victory in 1999.
Speaking further on the 2027 election, Atiku highlighted his record of creating opportunities for young Nigerians during his tenure as vice president.
He said some of those who benefited from such opportunities had gone on to become governors, ministers, directors, and other public officeholders.
Atiku promised that, if elected president in 2027, his administration would continue to create opportunities for young Nigerians to serve and take up leadership positions.
The former vice president is seeking the presidency on the platform of the ADC after joining forces with other opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.