Jul 31, 2026

Obasanjo Calls Choosing Atiku as Running Mate His Greatest Political Mistake Ever

By Afolabi Olaiya Idowu in politics

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July 31, 2026 - In a characteristically blunt reflection that has once again stirred Nigeria’s political waters, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his decision to choose Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake of his life.

Speaking on Friday in Lagos during a fireside chat with activist and musician Charly Boy at the unveiling of Charly Boy’s foundation and memoir, Obasanjo left little room for ambiguity.

“I would say the greatest mistake I made was picking Atiku Abubakar as my vice president in 1999,” the former president declared.

He added that with the benefit of hindsight, he would not have made the same choice. “If I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him.”

Yet Obasanjo was careful to strike a note of grace. He expressed gratitude that Atiku’s “actions and reactions” did not overwhelm him or divert his focus from the serious business of governing Nigeria.

“There is no bitterness in me over what happened,” he said. “Despite everything, I was able to achieve what I set out to achieve while in power.”

A Partnership That Turned Sour

Obasanjo and Atiku rode to power on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999, marking Nigeria’s return to democratic rule after years of military dictatorship.

Their partnership lasted two full terms until 2007. What began as a strategic political alliance — with Atiku’s northern base complementing Obasanjo’s southwestern roots — later deteriorated amid sharp disagreements, particularly during the second term.

The former president’s latest comments echo earlier public regrets he has expressed about the choice, but the timing and the setting have given them fresh resonance as Nigeria inches toward the 2027 general elections.

The Occasion and the Audience

The fireside chat was held to mark the launch of Charly Boy’s foundation and his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.

The event drew a notable crowd of political and business heavyweights, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, presidential hopeful Peter Obi, and business mogul Leo Stan Ekeh, who donated N20 million each in honor of Obasanjo and Anyaoku.

In the same conversation, Obasanjo also addressed long-running questions about his ancestry, firmly stating that his parents hailed from Abeokuta in Ogun State and that he still knows the family house there.

Political Ripples

Reactions on social media and among political actors have been swift and polarized.

Some see the remarks as further evidence of the deep personal and political rift that has defined the Obasanjo-Atiku relationship for nearly two decades.

Others view them as the candid reflections of an elder statesman who has never been shy about speaking his mind, even when it ruffles feathers.

What remains clear is that the ghost of that 1999 decision continues to haunt Nigeria’s political discourse more than a quarter of a century later.

As the country prepares for another high-stakes electoral cycle, the former president’s words serve as a reminder of how personal chemistry — or the lack of it — can shape the destiny of a nation.