‘You got it wrong’ – Obasanjo fires back at Osoba over claim of deceit in 2003

Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has rejected claims by former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba, that he “deceived” South-West leaders in 2003, describing Osoba’s account as “far-fetched” and full of omissions.

Obasanjo, on Thursday, in a letter addressed to Osoba in response to his article, “How Obasanjo Deceived Us in 2003,” published online, took “strong and serious objection” to being called deceitful.

The former president traced his entry into politics to 1999, revealing that he was approached by multiple groups after his release from prison, including one led by the late Chief Bola Ige and another by Martins Kuye.

He said he embarked on nationwide consultations with leaders across the South-West, North and East before joining the PDP.

“There are many things you got wrong and many things you omitted, advertently or inadvertently, in your write-up carried in The Legal Observer of July 20, 2026. Your presentation in your write-up was far-fetched, to put it mildly.

“But before I go further, I take strong and serious objection to your calling me deceitful because I deceived nobody. I always presented my case and all issues as I had them and as I understood them, no matter whose ox is gored. There were issues you did not know or understand because, as you pointed out, they were above your head. They were handled by your elders in the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Afenifere.

“And there were issues that you governors of the South-West kept away from me which normally should be discussed or raised with me but were raised or discussed somewhere else. I would not say that you were diabolical or deceitful. You chose what you would do and you did what you chose.

“With these approaches, I decided to consult in the South-West, East and North. In the South-West, my first call was Ibadan to consult Chief Akinloye, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Richard Akinjide and Professor Oyeleye. In the North, I consulted two close friends, Sunday Awoniyi and Adamu Ciroma. In the East, I consulted Professor Anezi Okoro and Arthur Mbanefo. That quick consultation was like a sounding board. It gave me a quick and good feel.

“From that sounding, I decided to take interest in what was going on in party formations and the special role that Bola Ige was playing at that time. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attracted my attention and my interest, and I was being regularly updated. After the formation of the parties, I formally joined the PDP. I continued my consultation and campaigns at the same time.”

“For me, politics is for the welfare and well-being of the people and there should be no personal bitterness or acrimony in it. And if you do not do my politics or play it my way, that should not lead to hatred, enmity or antagonism.”

Obasanjo also dismissed Osoba’s claim that AD governors and Afenifere could dictate to his government, recalling meetings with Papa Abraham Adesanya and Papa Onasanya, and insisted that bringing the PDP and AD into a national government was “out of strength, not weakness.”

“Bringing the PDP and AD to join me for a sort of national government was not out of weakness; rather, it was out of strength and for the unity and progress of the country.

“For you to present such to me was to grossly underrate me. It was the second time.”

The former president further alleged that his then vice president initiated the impeachment move against Speaker Ghali Na’Abba and even plotted a 2007 takeover with the support of AD governors.

“From the first day as vice president, he raised campaigners for his presidency… he gave him 5 million naira to begin his impeachment work,” Obasanjo claimed.

Concluding, Obasanjo said politics should be about ideas, not bitterness, and acknowledged Osoba’s role in allocating land for the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), calling it “the most significant landmark in Abeokuta.”

‘You got it wrong’ – Obasanjo fires back at Osoba over claim of deceit in 2003