By Blessing Fali
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has fired back at former President Olusegun Obasanjo, questioning his electoral strength and role in securing his victory in the 1999 presidential election.
Atiku said Obasanjo could not win his own state or the South-West during the election, arguing that support from Northern Nigeria, particularly the Arewa region, was 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 while speaking with journalists on Wednesday.
The statement is the latest escalation in the long-running political disagreement between the two former leaders, who served together as president and vice president between 1999 and 2007.
Atiku also maintained that his opposition to Obasanjo’s controversial third-term bid was based on his commitment to defending Nigeria’s Constitution and democracy.
The renewed exchange comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Atiku seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu under the ADC.
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