The lingering disagreement between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is political rather than personal, Atiku’s Senior Political Assistant, Demola Olarewaju, has said.

Olarewaju stated this on Monday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he appeared alongside the Executive Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance, Ayodeji Ologun.

Background

The latest exchange is the latest chapter in the long-running political differences between Obasanjo and Atiku, which date back to their years in office between 1999 and 2007.

The dispute recently intensified after Obasanjo described his decision to choose Atiku as his running mate in 1999 as the “biggest mistake” of his political life, while also alleging that the former vice president was involved in a plot to impeach him in 2003.

Obasanjo alleged that Atiku paid ₦5 million to the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to initiate the impeachment process.

Atiku, through his media aides, rejected the allegations, describing them as part of what he called a long-running campaign of “lies, deceit and historical distortion” by the former president.

The former vice president also argued that the root of Obasanjo’s resentment was his refusal to support the former president’s bid for a third term in office. Atiku maintained that he chose the Constitution and Nigeria’s democratic interests over personal loyalty.

He also denied the alleged payment to Na’Abba, who died in 2023, questioning the decision to rely on a deceased former lawmaker who could no longer respond to the allegation.

Atiku’s camp has further cited accounts from political figures who served during the period, including former House Chief Whip Abubakar Bawa Bwari and former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, in disputing Obasanjo’s account of events.

The renewed dispute comes as Atiku remains active in opposition politics ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with his supporters insisting that the disagreement with Obasanjo will not derail his political ambitions.

IT IS POLITICAL, NOT PERSONAL— OLAREWAJU

According to Olarewaju, Atiku still holds Obasanjo in high esteem despite their political differences, adding that there was no personal grievance between the two former leaders.

“The relationship between the former President Obasanjo and Atiku, in my view as a Nigerian who witnessed the administration and the post-administration, is the fact that they do not seem to have a personal issue. It is clear from how Atiku holds Obasanjo in high esteem,” he said.

Olarewaju, however, alleged that the disagreement between the former president and his former deputy was rooted in politics, claiming that Obasanjo does not want Atiku to become president.

“The issue between them is political and, for reasons best known to Obasanjo, it is very clear and obvious that he does not want Atiku Abubakar to ever be President of the Federal Republic,” he said.

He also questioned what he described as Obasanjo’s belief that no other leader could match his achievements or govern Nigeria better than he did.

“I think another thing that has become very clear is his instability about the opinion that Obasanjo holds that nobody can meet up with his achievement and nobody can govern Nigeria better than him,” Olarewaju said.

Speaking on Obasanjo’s political posture since leaving office in 2007, Olarewaju described it as a “journey of redemption,” arguing that the former president had, over the years, sought to rebuild his relationship with the Yoruba people.

He linked this to Obasanjo’s role during the Nigerian Civil War and suggested that the former president’s subsequent political interventions could partly be viewed within the context of his relationship with the South-West.

Olarewaju also compared Obasanjo’s approach to successive administrations, arguing that the former president had been more critical of the administrations of former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari than he has been of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He further argued that Obasanjo’s political influence in the South-West should not be overstated, particularly in terms of his ability to determine electoral outcomes.

Despite the former president’s opposition to Atiku, Olarewaju said supporters of the former vice president remained determined to pursue his political ambition.

“We are determined that this opposition won’t affect Atiku’s campaign,” he said.

On concerns over Atiku’s age, with the former vice president now 79, Olarewaju argued that the debate should focus beyond age and examine the structural problems confronting Nigeria.

He maintained that Nigeria’s federal system was overly centralised, with too much power concentrated in Abuja.

“One of the biggest problems that we have in Nigeria is that the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not actually federal. That’s why we have so much power concentrated on Abuja, and over time it has continued to be a problem,” he said.

Olarewaju also challenged the perception that successive Nigerian leaders had simply been corrupt or wicked, arguing that the country’s political structure itself needed fundamental reform.

“I know a lot of Nigerians want to believe that anybody that has governed Nigeria since 1960 has always been corrupt or wicked. But if we look at it from another dimension, I have a model that we are wrong. It’s not the way Nigeria was supposed to run,” he said.

He added that changing the occupant of the presidency without addressing the underlying structure of governance would not resolve the country’s problems.

“Anybody you put there, unless they go back to fixing the fundamentals, they will continue; we will continue to have the same problem,” he said.

OBASANJO IS ATTACKING ATIKU FOR POLITICAL REASONS — OLOGUN

Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance (CRG), Ologun said Obasanjo’s position on Atiku had changed significantly over the years.

He recalled that Obasanjo spoke positively about Atiku in the build-up to the 2019 presidential election, particularly regarding the former vice president’s understanding of governance.

According to him, Atiku’s performance as vice president during the Obasanjo administration demonstrated a strong working relationship between the two men.

“In 2019, Obasanjo spoke well about Atiku, saying that he knows well about running the affairs of the country,” Ologun said.

He added that Atiku and Obasanjo had worked closely during their time in government, with the former vice president playing an effective role in the administration.

Ologun said it was therefore significant that Obasanjo opposed Atiku’s presidential bid in 2023 and had continued to oppose him.

“But no matter what happens, we want Nigerians to understand the truth that Atiku never did a thing to Obasanjo,” he said.

“Obasanjo is attacking Atiku for political reasons; he doesn’t want him to become the president,” Ologun added.

Addressing concerns about Atiku’s age, Ologun described the former vice president as one of Nigeria’s most experienced and politically knowledgeable figures.

“It’s undisputable that former President Atiku Abubakar remains one of the brightest and one of the most blessed of all the politicians that this country has produced in recent times,” he said.

Ologun also described Atiku as one of the few politicians with a pan-Nigerian outlook, arguing that his experience and understanding of Nigeria’s political landscape remained relevant.

He further praised Atiku’s investment in younger Nigerians, describing him as one of the political figures who had invested significantly in the development of young people.

WILL THE FEUD EVER END?

As the exchange continues, the question remains whether Obasanjo and Atiku will eventually sheathe their swords.

What began as political differences between a former president and his deputy has evolved into one of the most enduring rivalries in Nigeria’s democratic history, with successive political seasons repeatedly reopening old wounds.

Their relationship, once celebrated as a formidable partnership that helped usher in the Fourth Republic in 1999, has since been defined by competing political ambitions, accusations and disagreements over the direction of the country.

The latest war of words suggests that, despite occasional signs of rapprochement, the differences between the two former leaders remain unresolved.

And with Atiku still active in opposition politics ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the Obasanjo-Atiku feud appears unlikely to disappear from Nigeria’s political conversation anytime soon.