….Ologun: Former president opposes Atiku for political reasons

 

 

 

The lingering disagreement between former Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is political rather than personal, Atiku’s Senior Political Assistant, Demola Olarewaju, has said.

 

Olarewaju spoke yesterday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he appeared alongside the Executive Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance (CRG), Ayodeji Ologun.

 

The renewed war of words between the two former leaders is the latest chapter in their long-running political differences, which date back to their years in office between 1999 and 2007.

 

The dispute recently resurfaced after Obasanjo described his decision to choose Atiku as his running mate in 1999 as the “biggest mistake” of his political life.

 

He also alleged that the former vice president was involved in a plot to impeach him in 2003.

 

Obasanjo further alleged that Atiku paid N5 million to the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to commence the impeachment process.

 

Atiku, through his media aides, rejected the allegations, describing them as part of what he called a long-running campaign of “lies, deceit and historical distortion” by the former president.

 

The former vice president also attributed Obasanjo’s resentment to his refusal to support the former president’s bid for a third term in office, insisting that he chose the Constitution and Nigeria’s democratic interests over personal loyalty.

 

Atiku also denied the alleged payment to Na’Abba, who died in 2023, questioning the reliance on a deceased former lawmaker who could no longer respond to the allegation.

 

His camp has subsequently cited accounts from political figures who served during the period, including former House Chief Whip Abubakar Bawa Bwari and former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, in challenging Obasanjo’s account of events.

 

The renewed disagreement comes as Atiku remains active in opposition politics ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with his supporters insisting that the dispute with Obasanjo will not derail his political ambition.

 

‘It is political, not personal’ olarewaju said .

 

Olarewaju said Atiku still held Obasanjo in high esteem despite their political differences, insisting that there was no personal grievance between the two former leaders.

 

“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,” he said.

 

He, however, argued that the disagreement between the former president and his former deputy was rooted in politics, alleging that Obasanjo did not want Atiku to become president.

 

“The issue between them is political and, 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 .

 

He also questioned what he described as Obasanjo’s belief that no other leader could match his achievements or govern Nigeria better than he did.

 

“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.

 

Olarewaju further described Obasanjo’s political activities since leaving office in 2007 as a “journey of redemption”, suggesting that the former president had over the years sought to rebuild his relationship with the Yoruba people.

 

He linked the issue to Obasanjo’s role during the Nigerian Civil War and suggested that some of the former president’s subsequent political interventions could be viewed within the context of his relationship with the South-West.

 

The aide also compared Obasanjo’s attitude towards successive administrations, arguing that the former president had been more critical of the administrations of former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari than he had been of President Bola Tinubu’s government.

 

He also played down Obasanjo’s political influence in the South-West, particularly his ability to determine electoral outcomes.

 

Despite Obasanjo’s opposition to Atiku, he said supporters of the former vice president remained committed to his presidential ambition.

 

“We are determined that this opposition won’t affect Atiku’s campaign,” he said.

On concerns over Atiku’s age, the former vice president being 79, Olarewaju said the debate should go beyond age and focus on the structural challenges confronting Nigeria.

 

He argued that Nigeria’s federal system was overly centralised, with excessive powers concentrated in Abuja.

 

“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.

 

He challenged the view that successive Nigerian leaders had simply been corrupt or wicked, arguing that the country’s political structure required fundamental reform.

 

“I know a lot of Nigerians want to believe that anybody that has governed Nigeria since 1960 has always been corrupt or wicked. But if we look at it from another dimension, I have a model that we are wrong. It’s not the way Nigeria was supposed to run,” he said.

 

According to him, changing the occupant of the presidency without addressing the underlying structure of governance would not resolve the country’s problems.

 

“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 opposes Atiku for political reasons

 

Ologun further said Obasanjo’s position on Atiku had changed significantly over the years.

 

He recalled that Obasanjo spoke positively about Atiku in the build-up to the 2019 presidential election, particularly regarding the former vice president’s understanding of governance.

 

According to Ologun, Atiku’s performance as vice president during the Obasanjo administration demonstrated that the two men had maintained a strong working relationship while in government.

 

“In 2019, Obasanjo spoke well about Atiku, saying that he knows well about running the affairs of the country,” he said.

 

Ologun said it was therefore significant that Obasanjo opposed Atiku’s presidential bid in 2023 and had continued to oppose him.

 

“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.

 

On concerns over Atiku’s age, Ologun described the former vice president as one of the country’s most experienced politicians, arguing that his knowledge of Nigeria’s political landscape remained relevant.

 

“It’s undisputable that former President Atiku Abubakar remains one of the brightest and one of the most blessed of all the politicians that this country has produced in recent times .

 

He also described Atiku as one of the few politicians with what he termed a pan-Nigerian outlook, while praising his investment in young Nigerians.

 

Feud unlikely to disappear

Whether the long-running feud between Obasanjo and Atiku will eventually end remains uncertain.

 

What began as political differences between a former president and his deputy has become one of the most enduring rivalries in Nigeria’s democratic history, with successive political seasons repeatedly reopening old wounds.

 

Their relationship, once regarded as a formidable partnership that helped usher in the Fourth Republic in 1999, has since been marked by competing political ambitions, accusations and disagreements over the direction of the country.

 

With Atiku still active in opposition politics ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the Obasanjo-Atiku feud is unlikely to disappear from Nigeria’s political discourse anytime soon.