By Ahmed Yusuf
National News
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has thrown its weight behind former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s criticism of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, urging Nigerians not to entrust him with the country’s leadership ahead of the 2027 general election.
The ruling party said Obasanjo’s assessment of Atiku should be taken seriously, arguing that the former president spoke from personal experience after serving alongside the former vice president between 1999 and 2007.
APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, said Obasanjo was in the best position to assess Atiku’s character, describing the former vice president as a serial defector whose political history reflects a lack of consistency.
According to Basiru, Obasanjo’s comments should serve as a warning to Nigerians against supporting Atiku’s presidential ambition under the African Democratic Party (ADC).
Obasanjo had, during a public conversation in Lagos, described his decision to choose Atiku as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency, stating that he would not have selected him had he known him better at the time.
The remarks further reignited the long-running political rift between the two former leaders, whose relationship deteriorated before the end of their administration in 2007.
However, Atiku dismissed Obasanjo’s criticism, insisting it would have no impact on his chances in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking through his media aide, Paul Ibe, the former vice president maintained that only Nigerians—not Obasanjo—would determine the outcome of the election.
Ibe accused the former president of pursuing personal grievances and attempting to influence public opinion against Atiku, insisting that the attacks stemmed from the fallout over the failed third-term constitutional amendment during the Obasanjo administration.
He argued that Atiku remained proud of opposing any attempt to extend presidential tenure beyond the constitutionally permitted two terms, describing the decision as a defence of Nigeria’s democracy.
In a separate statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Obasanjo’s latest comments reflected personal resentment rather than historical facts.
He also suggested that the criticism came shortly after World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala publicly commended the economic management team he led during the Obasanjo administration.
According to Atiku, despite repeated criticisms from his former principal, Nigerians would ultimately decide who becomes the country’s next president in 2027.
