‘I wouldn’t have picked him as VP’: Obasanjo reflects on choice of Atiku

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his decision to select former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake he made while serving as Nigeria’s president.

Obasanjo made the remark on Friday during a fireside conversation with veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the launch of Charly Boy’s foundation and memoir, ‘999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa’, in Lagos.

Responding to a question about the biggest error of his presidency, Obasanjo said every leader makes mistakes but insisted that choosing his deputy remained the one decision he regretted the most.

The former president said that although God had helped him overcome potentially damaging mistakes, he would not have picked the same running mate if he had known then what he later came to know.

“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,” Obasanjo said.

When Charly Boy asked if he was referring to Atiku, Obasanjo confirmed he was speaking about his former vice president.

He added that despite his disappointment, he remained grateful that the circumstances did not derail his administration or distract him from governing the country.

“If I had known what I later discovered, I would have made a different choice. Thank God that his actions and reactions did not overwhelm me, divert my attention from Nigeria or harm the country,” he said.

Obasanjo, however, stressed that he holds no personal grudge against Atiku, saying both men acted according to their convictions.

“There is no bitterness. He did what he believed he should do, and God did what He had to do, enabling me to achieve what I was able to achieve,” Obasanjo added.

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Obasanjo and Atiku were elected president and vice president on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999, becoming Nigeria’s first democratically elected leadership after the end of military rule.

Their administration initially enjoyed a reputation for strong collaboration, with Atiku playing key roles in economic management, including chairing the National Council on Privatisation and contributing to major reform initiatives.

However, their relationship deteriorated during Obasanjo’s second term, particularly after Atiku opposed efforts by supporters of the president to amend the Constitution to allow a third presidential term.

The collapse of the controversial third-term bid in 2006 deepened the rift, leading to a prolonged political and legal battle after Atiku defected from the PDP to the then Action Congress ahead of the 2007 general election.

Obasanjo subsequently declared the vice president’s office vacant, but the Supreme Court ruled that the president lacked the constitutional authority to remove an elected vice president, allowing Atiku to complete his tenure.

Since leaving office, both leaders have remained at odds, frequently exchanging accusations over corruption, abuse of office and political betrayal.