Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that with the benefit of hindsight, he would not have chosen Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election, describing the decision as one of the genuine mistakes of his political career.
Speaking during an interactive session with students at the National Exhibition and Awards organised by Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the former president reflected on key moments in his life and public service.
Obasanjo said:
“One of the mistakes I made was picking my number two when I wanted to become the president. But because it was a genuine mistake, God saved me.”
Although he did not mention Atiku by name during the session, the remark was widely understood to refer to the former vice president, who served alongside him between 1999 and 2007 before their political relationship deteriorated.
Obasanjo has previously explained that he initially chose Atiku after considering several factors, including his role in the democratic struggle, his national political reach, and recommendations from trusted associates. However, he later said his expectations were not met.
In an earlier interview, Obasanjo disclosed that he had intended to mentor Atiku to eventually succeed him as president but abandoned the plan after concluding that his deputy lacked the judgment required for the office.
According to him:
“My plan was that the first term, he would be given a lot of work to do domestically… My second term, my idea was that… he would represent Nigeria at ECOWAS, the AU and the UN so that he’s fully prepared.”
He added:
“The first thing I found was that his judgement was not right… As president of Nigeria, there are certain things that you should not do… So, I gave up.”
The comments are the latest in a long-running political feud between the two former allies, whose relationship fractured during Obasanjo’s second term in office and has remained strained ever since.
