Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has escalated his war of words with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, accusing him of lacking the electoral strength to have won the 1999 presidential election without support from Northern Nigeria.
Atiku, who spoke with journalists on Wednesday, said Obasanjo could not win either his home state or the South-West during the 1999 election, arguing that Northern voters were instrumental to his emergence as president.
‘In 1999, he could not even win his own state or the South-West; it was Arewa that made him President. He possesses no electoral value,’ Atiku said.
The former vice president’s remarks came amid a renewed dispute with Obasanjo over their political relationship and the events surrounding the 1999-2007 administration.
Obasanjo had recently described his decision to select Atiku as his running mate in 1999 as the ‘biggest mistake’ of his presidency. He also accused his former deputy of disloyalty and involvement in an alleged plot to impeach him.
Atiku rejected the former president’s account, accusing him of rewriting history and attempting to deploy their past political relationship for advantage ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The latest exchange adds a fresh dimension to the emerging political battle ahead of the 2027 election, with Atiku now seeking the presidency under the ADC after joining forces with other opposition figures.
Defending his record as vice president, Atiku also highlighted his role in creating opportunities for young Nigerians during the Obasanjo administration.
He said several beneficiaries of those opportunities had subsequently risen to become governors, ministers, directors and other public officeholders.
Atiku pledged that, if elected president in 2027, he would expand such opportunities for young Nigerians and create pathways for them to participate in governance and assume leadership positions.
The renewed clash with Obasanjo is coming as Atiku intensifies efforts to consolidate opposition support ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.