The long-running disagreement between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is rooted in political differences rather than a personal feud, Atiku’s Senior Political Assistant, Demola Olarewaju, has said.
Olarewaju made the assertion on Monday while speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State. He appeared on the programme alongside Ayodeji Ologun, Executive Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance.
According to Olarewaju, Atiku continues to respect Obasanjo despite the strained relationship between the two former leaders, who served together as president and vice president between 1999 and 2007.
He argued that the major disagreement between them was political, particularly Obasanjo’s alleged opposition to Atiku’s ambition to become president.
“The relationship between the former President Obasanjo and Atiku, in my view as a Nigerian who witnessed the administration and the post-administration, is the fact that they do not seem to have a personal issue. It is clear from how Atiku holds Obasanjo in high esteem,” Olarewaju said.
He added that “for reasons best known to Obasanjo, it is very clear and obvious that he does not want Atiku Abubakar to ever be President of the Federal Republic.”
The renewed dispute between the former political allies follows recent comments by Obasanjo, who described his decision to select Atiku as his running mate in 1999 as the biggest mistake of his political career.
Obasanjo also alleged that Atiku was involved in an attempt to impeach him in 2003 and claimed that the former vice president paid N5 million to the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to commence the process.
Atiku has rejected the allegations, accusing Obasanjo of repeatedly distorting historical events and spreading what his camp described as falsehoods.
The former vice president has maintained that his opposition to Obasanjo’s third-term ambition was based on his commitment to the Constitution and democratic principles.
Atiku also disputed the alleged payment to Na’Abba, who died in 2023, while citing accounts from some political figures who served in government during the period to challenge Obasanjo’s version of events.
Olarewaju further questioned what he described as Obasanjo’s apparent belief that his achievements in office could not be matched by any successor.
“I think another thing that has become very clear is his instability about the opinion that Obasanjo holds that nobody can meet up with his achievement and nobody can govern Nigeria better than him,” he said.
The aide also described Obasanjo’s political activities since leaving office as part of what he called a “journey of redemption,” linking the former president’s subsequent political interventions partly to his relationship with the Yoruba people and the South-West.
Olarewaju argued that Obasanjo had been more critical of previous administrations, including those of Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, than he has been of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
He also played down Obasanjo’s influence over voters in the South-West, arguing that the former president’s opposition would not prevent Atiku and his supporters from pursuing their political objectives ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“We are determined that this opposition won’t affect Atiku’s campaign,” he said.
On concerns surrounding Atiku’s age, Olarewaju said the debate should go beyond the former vice president’s 79 years and focus on the structural challenges affecting Nigeria.
He argued that excessive centralisation of political and economic power in Abuja remained one of the country’s fundamental problems.
“One of the biggest problems that we have in Nigeria is that the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not actually federal. That’s why we have so much power concentrated on Abuja, and over time it has continued to be a problem,” he said.
Olarewaju maintained that simply replacing one president with another would not solve Nigeria’s challenges without reforms to the country’s governing structure.
“Anybody you put there, unless they go back to fixing the fundamentals, they will continue; we will continue to have the same problem,” he said.
Ologun: Obasanjo’s Opposition to Atiku Is Political
Ologun, who also spoke during the programme, backed Olarewaju’s position, arguing that Obasanjo’s attitude towards Atiku had changed considerably over the years.
He recalled that Obasanjo spoke favourably about Atiku during the build-up to the 2019 presidential election, particularly praising his understanding of governance and national affairs.
“In 2019, Obasanjo spoke well about Atiku, saying that he knows well about running the affairs of the country,” Ologun said.
He noted that the two men had worked closely during their years in government, with Atiku serving as vice president under Obasanjo.
Ologun therefore questioned the subsequent change in Obasanjo’s position, particularly his opposition to Atiku’s presidential bid in 2023 and his continued criticism of the former vice president.
“But no matter what happens, we want Nigerians to understand the truth that Atiku never did a thing to Obasanjo,” he said.
“Obasanjo is attacking Atiku for political reasons; he doesn’t want him to become the president,” Ologun added.
He also dismissed concerns about Atiku’s age, describing the former vice president as an experienced politician with extensive knowledge of Nigeria’s political landscape.
Ologun further praised Atiku’s national outlook and his support for younger Nigerians, arguing that his experience remained valuable to the country.
End to Obasanjo-Atiku Feud Still Uncertain
The renewed exchange has once again brought the decades-old relationship between the two former leaders into the spotlight.
Obasanjo and Atiku were central figures in the political transition that ushered in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic in 1999. Their partnership, however, deteriorated over political disagreements during their time in office and became increasingly strained after their administration left power in 2007.
Since then, their political paths have frequently crossed, with disagreements resurfacing during successive presidential election cycles.
With Atiku remaining active in opposition politics ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the latest exchange suggests that the long-standing Obasanjo-Atiku rivalry is likely to remain a major talking point in Nigeria’s political discourse.
