Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has launched a robust defence of his record, insisting that history cannot be rewritten following former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s latest public criticism of his former deputy.
The rift reignited on Friday when Chief Obasanjo, speaking in Lagos during a public event hosted by activist Charles Oputa (popularly known as Charly Boy), described choosing Mr Atiku as his running mate ahead of the 1999 presidential election as the single greatest mistake of his presidency.
Responding on Saturday through a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Mr Atiku dismissed the remarks as another failed effort to alter historical facts. He maintained that he felt no remorse for blocking Chief Obasanjo’s infamous third-term ambition, choosing instead to uphold the nation’s constitution over individual allegiance.
“If Chief Obasanjo’s bitterness stems from my refusal to support an unconstitutional third term, then I wear that resentment as a badge of honour,” Mr Atiku stated, noting that no citizen stands above the law and that the struggle was fundamentally about safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy rather than a personal clash.
Reflecting on their shared past, the former vice-president recalled his support for Chief Obasanjo following the latter’s release from prison in the late 1990s. Mr Atiku noted that he backed the former military ruler both financially and politically, helping to build the alliances that ultimately secured Chief Obasanjo the presidency in 1999. He stressed that while acts of kindness are driven by conscience rather than expectations of repayment, basic gratitude ought not to be replaced by historical revisionism.
Turning to economic governance, Mr Atiku highlighted recent praise from the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, regarding the economic management team he chaired during their tenure. He suggested it was telling that while international figures acknowledge those contributions to one of the nation’s most prosperous economic eras, Chief Obasanjo remains intent on diminishing them.
Mr Atiku expressed disappointment that the former president chose to recycle old grievances at a time when Nigeria faces severe economic strain, widespread insecurity, and high unemployment. Emphasising that his focus remains firmly on the nation’s future, he urged political leaders to concentrate on national renewal ahead of the 2027 elections rather than opening old wounds.
Concluding his response, Mr Atiku remarked that whilst Chief Obasanjo is entitled to his personal opinions, he is not entitled to his own facts, adding: “History is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten by bitterness, nor erased by repeated falsehoods.”