Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has responded to former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his recent remarks, insisting that he played a key role in Obasanjo’s political resurgence and would not allow history to be distorted.
Obasanjo had, on Friday, described choosing Atiku as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency. He made the comment during a fireside conversation with veteran entertainer Charles Oputa at the launch of Charly Boy’s foundation and memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, in Lagos.
Reacting in a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku dismissed the remarks as “another failed attempt to rewrite history.”
The former vice-president also defended his opposition to Obasanjo’s failed third-term agenda, saying he remained proud of standing by Nigeria’s Constitution.
“I am proud that I stood against the third-term agenda. I am proud that I stood by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition.
“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. No individual, regardless of his status or accomplishments, is bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Constitution is supreme, and I chose Nigeria over personal loyalty,” Atiku said.
According to him, resisting the third-term bid was about protecting Nigeria’s democracy rather than engaging in a personal dispute.
“The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict,” he added.
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Atiku further argued that he was instrumental in Obasanjo’s return to political relevance after his release from prison.
“History records that while Chief Obasanjo was in prison, I stood firmly by him. I supported his family, worked tirelessly with other patriots for his release and never wavered in my belief that he deserved his freedom,” he said.
“When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for and extended every support necessary to help him regain his footing.
“Beyond that, I mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that culminated in his emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Despite the breakdown in their relationship, Atiku said he had no regrets about supporting the former president.
“Do I regret helping Chief Obasanjo? Absolutely not. When God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not commercial transactions,” he said.
He added that “gratitude should never be replaced with revisionism.”
The former vice-president also referred to recent comments by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, saying the WTO chief had acknowledged the achievements of the economic management team he led.
“Whether or not the timing is merely coincidental is for Nigerians to judge. What is beyond dispute, however, is that while distinguished Nigerians who served at the highest levels continue to acknowledge my contributions to one of Nigeria’s most successful periods of economic management, Chief Obasanjo appears determined to diminish them,” Atiku said.
He expressed disappointment that Obasanjo was revisiting past political disagreements at a time Nigeria is grappling with economic hardship, insecurity and unemployment.
“The 2027 election should be about rebuilding Nigeria, restoring security, reviving the economy and giving hope to the next generation—not reopening old political wounds,” he said.
Atiku concluded by saying he had remained silent out of respect for Obasanjo but would no longer ignore what he described as repeated attempts to distort history.
“There comes a point when silence in the face of repeated distortions of history ceases to be a virtue.
“Chief Obasanjo is entitled to his opinions. He is entitled to his personal grievances. What he is not entitled to are his own facts.”
He added, “I have chosen the path of service over resentment, vision over vendetta and national renewal over personal recrimination.
“History is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten by bitterness, nor erased by repeated falsehoods. In the end, history will render its verdict—and so will the Nigerian people.”