….Ologun confirms claim

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s Senior Political Assistant, Demola Olarewaju, has said that the simmering rift going on between his former boss and Erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo is political rather than personal.

Olarewaju stated this on Monday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he appeared alongside the Executive Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance, Ayodeji Ologun.

Obasanjo had recently said that his decision to choose Atiku as his running mate in 1999 was the “biggest mistake” of his political life, alleging that the former Vice President was involved in a plot to impeach him in 2003. Obasanjo alleged that Atiku paid ₦5 million to the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to initiate the impeachment process.

Atiku, through his Media Aides, rejected the allegations, describing them as part of what he called a long-running campaign of “lies, deceit and historical distortion” by the former president.

The former Vice President also argued that the root of Obasanjo’s resentment was his refusal to support the former president’s bid for a third term in office.

Atiku maintained that he chose the Constitution and Nigeria’s democratic interests over personal loyalty.

According to Olarewaju, Atiku still holds Obasanjo in high esteem despite their political differences, adding that there was no personal grievance between the two former leaders.

“The relationship between the former President Obasanjo and Atiku, in my view as a Nigerian who witnessed the administration and the post-administration, is the fact that they do not seem to have a personal issue. It is clear from how Atiku holds Obasanjo in high esteem,” he said.

Olarewaju, however, alleged that the disagreement between the former president and his former deputy was rooted in politics, claiming that Obasanjo does not want Atiku to become president.

“The issue between them is political and, for reasons best known to Obasanjo, it is very clear and obvious that he does not want Atiku Abubakar to ever be President of the Federal Republic,” he said.

He also questioned what he described as Obasanjo’s belief that no other leader could match his achievements or govern Nigeria better than he did.

“I think another thing that has become very clear is his instability about the opinion that Obasanjo holds that nobody can meet up with his achievement and nobody can govern Nigeria better than him,” Olarewaju said.

Speaking on Obasanjo’s political posture since leaving office in 2007, Olarewaju described it as a “journey of redemption,” arguing that the former president had, over the years, sought to rebuild his relationship with the Yoruba people. He linked this to Obasanjo’s role during the Nigerian Civil War and suggested that the former president’s subsequent political interventions could partly be viewed within the context of his relationship with the South-West.

Olarewaju also compared Obasanjo’s approach to successive administrations, arguing that the former president had been more critical of the administrations of former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari than he has been of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He further argued that Obasanjo’s political influence in the South-West should not be overstated, particularly in terms of his ability to determine electoral outcomes.

Despite the former president’s opposition to Atiku, Olarewaju said supporters of the former Vice President remained determined to pursue his political ambition.

“We are determined that this opposition won’t affect Atiku’s campaign,” he said.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance (CRG), Ologun, said Obasanjo’s position on Atiku had changed significantly over the years, recalling that Obasanjo spoke positively about Atiku in the build-up to the 2019 presidential election, particularly regarding the former vice president’s understanding of governance.

According to him, Atiku’s performance as vice president during the Obasanjo administration demonstrated a strong working relationship between the two men.

“In 2019, Obasanjo spoke well about Atiku, saying that he knows well about running the affairs of the country,” Ologun said. He added that Atiku and Obasanjo had worked closely during their time in government, with the former vice president playing an effective role in the administration. Ologun said it was therefore significant that Obasanjo opposed Atiku’s presidential bid in 2023 and had continued to oppose him.

“But no matter what happens, we want Nigerians to understand the truth that Atiku never did a thing to Obasanjo. Obasanjo is attacking Atiku for political reasons; he doesn’t want him to become the president,” Ologun added.

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