Obasanjo Calls Picking Atiku Running Mate His Biggest Mistake

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo stated during a fireside chat in Lagos that appointing Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election was the greatest mistake of his presidency. Obasanjo claimed that had he known Abubakar as he did later, he would not have chosen him as vice president, and credited divine intervention for preventing Abubakar's actions from harming the country. During the same event, Obasanjo defended his military conduct during the Nigerian Civil War, specifically citing his efforts to minimize civilian casualties in Owerri.

Atiku Abubakar responded by attributing Obasanjo's hostility to resentment over Atiku's opposition to Obasanjo's controversial third-term agenda. Abubakar defended his stance as a necessary act to protect constitutional democracy and reminded the public of the financial and political support he provided to Obasanjo during the latter's imprisonment. He urged a shift in focus toward Nigeria's security and economy ahead of the 2027 elections.

Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, condemned Obasanjo's remarks as an "outdated blackmail pattern." Frank argued that Obasanjo uses Abubakar as a political scapegoat for the failures of the 1999-2007 administration and challenged the former president to take responsibility for his own record, including military operations in Odi and Zaki Biam.