Choosing Atiku as My Vice-President Was My Biggest Regret – Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described the decision to pick Atiku Abubakar as his vice-president as one of the biggest regrets of his political career, saying he later discovered things about Atiku that would have changed his choice.

Obasanjo made the remark on Friday in Lagos during a fireside chat with activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the unveiling of Charly Boy’s foundation and memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
The former president and Atiku served together between 1999 and 2007, but their relationship deteriorated during Obasanjo’s second term in office.
Reflecting on that period, Obasanjo said that if he had known then what he later came to know about Atiku, he would not have selected him as his running mate. He added that he was grateful that, in his view, Atiku’s actions did not distract him from focusing on Nigeria or cause harm to the country.
Despite the sharp criticism, Obasanjo said he holds no bitterness toward his former deputy, noting that each of them acted according to what they believed was right and that he remained thankful for what he was able to achieve while in office.
The latest remarks add to the long-running feud between the two politicians. Since leaving office, Obasanjo and Atiku have repeatedly exchanged accusations involving corruption, abuse of office and political betrayal.
In his 2014 memoir My Watch, Obasanjo accused Atiku of corruption and disloyalty, while Atiku rejected the claims and accused the former president of trying to rewrite history.
Their public exchanges intensified recently after Obasanjo alleged that Atiku gave the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, N5 million to initiate impeachment proceedings against him during his first term.
Atiku denied the allegation and accused Obasanjo of fabricating claims against him for political reasons ahead of the 2027 elections.