Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has come under fresh attack from the All Progressives Congress, which backed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assessment of the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Party.
Relying on Obasanjo’s comments about Atiku, the ruling party warned Nigerians against giving the former vice president another leadership opportunity.
The APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said Obasanjo was speaking from a position of knowledge about Atiku.
But Atiku declared that Obasanjo’s outburst against him would not stop him from winning the 2027 presidential election, calling on the former president to be noble in his actions.
Atiku accused Obasanjo of being driven by bitterness over the failure of the controversial third-term agenda and attempting to rewrite the country’s political history.
Obasanjo had on Friday described his decision to pick Atiku as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.
The former president, who spoke in Lagos during a fireside conversation with veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, said, “The man I picked as my running mate, my number two. If I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him.”
Friday’s remark was another outburst from Obasanjo, who has consistently attacked his former deputy since they left office in 2007.
Even while they were in office between 1999 and 2007, Obasanjo and Atiku had a frosty relationship, forcing the Waziri of Adamawa to leave the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006.
Commenting on Obasanjo’s remarks, Basiru described Atiku as a serial defector, adding that it was the hallmark of an “unserious politician” and reflected the characteristics painted by the former president.
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Basiru said, “Obasanjo has said so many things about Atiku, and he is in a position to know who the former vice president is.
“Obasanjo’s comments are a warning to Nigerians. So, no serious Nigerian should take Atiku seriously or give him another leadership opportunity. Obasanjo has said Atiku was corrupt, disloyal and many things.
“In any event, Obasanjo is not supporting the APC; he is supporting the other people. But his statement about Atiku is from a position of knowledge because he knows him very well. So, in the interest of the country, no Nigerian should take Atiku seriously.”
However, Atiku said Obasanjo’s attacks against him would not affect his chances in 2027.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH through his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said Obasanjo had exposed himself to Nigerians as a hypocrite.
He said, “How will it affect his chances? The election will be determined by Nigerians. In all these shenanigans, do you observe that Atiku has not, as a person, responded directly to Obasanjo? He will not.
“Obasanjo is trying to muddy the waters, and when he finishes all these vindictive politics, Nigerians are the ones who will make decisions about Atiku, not Obasanjo. Interestingly, Nigerians have come to see who the former president is; very hypocritical.
“All he has said will not affect Atiku’s chances in 2027. Why would it? He is a former president, but people know him for who he is, and he has only one vote.”
Asked if the outburst was intended to favour any presidential candidate, Ibe said Obasanjo was entitled to support anybody but advised the former president to be noble in his actions.
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