By Osaretin Osadebamwen
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s electoral strength, arguing that he could not win his home state or the South-West during the 1999 presidential election.
Atiku made the assertion while speaking with journalists amid an escalating exchange of words between the former president and his former deputy over their political relationship and the events surrounding the 1999 election.
“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 comments form part of a renewed dispute between the two former political allies, who have offered conflicting accounts of their relationship during the Obasanjo administration between 1999 and 2007.
The dispute intensified after Obasanjo described his decision to select Atiku as his running mate in 1999 as the “biggest mistake” of his presidency.
The former president also accused Atiku of disloyalty and alleged involvement in an attempt to impeach him while they were in office.
Atiku has rejected Obasanjo’s account, accusing the former president of rewriting history and attempting to use events from their time in government for political advantage ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former vice president has also defended his role in the administration, maintaining that he supported Obasanjo after his release from prison and helped build the political structure that contributed to their victory in 1999.
The latest exchange comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with both men remaining influential figures in Nigeria’s opposition politics.
