Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed claims by former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, that he misled the leadership of the Alliance for Democracy ahead of the 2003 general elections, insisting that he acted with honesty throughout the political process.
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In a statement titled, "Reply to Your Inaccurate Posture: 'How Obasanjo Deceived Us in 2003'," issued on Thursday, Obasanjo described Osoba's account, published in The Legal Observer on July 20, as inaccurate, incomplete and misleading.
He also accused his former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, of masterminding an impeachment plot against him during his first term in office.
The former President maintained that Osoba lacked full knowledge of the political consultations that took place between him and the leadership of Afenifere and the Alliance for Democracy, noting that many of the discussions were handled by senior Yoruba political figures.
Rejecting allegations that he deceived Yoruba leaders, Obasanjo said he had always presented issues as he understood them and never deliberately misled anyone.
He also defended the outcome of the 2003 governorship elections in the South-West, where the Peoples Democratic Party wrested control of five of the six states previously governed by the Alliance for Democracy.
According to him, the election results reflected the wishes of the electorate, except in one state where figures were allegedly manipulated.
Obasanjo further claimed that Osoba ran a weak campaign before the election and later apologised to Ogun residents during a television appearance over what he described as his arrogant disposition.
The former President also alleged that Atiku worked with the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na'Abba, to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.
He claimed the former Vice-President provided Na'Abba with N5m to commence the process while he was away from the office on a Friday.
According to Obasanjo, intelligence reports from his then Chief of Staff exposed the alleged plan, adding that he dismissed the impeachment move because he had committed no offence that warranted removal from office.
He further alleged that after the impeachment effort failed, Atiku pursued another political arrangement involving the six Alliance for Democracy governors in the South-West, claiming the plan was designed to secure his presidential ambition ahead of the 2007 elections.
Obasanjo said the proposal would have allowed the governors to retain their positions in 2003 without opposition, with the expectation that they would later support Atiku's presidential bid, stressing that he neither endorsed nor promoted such an arrangement.
Recalling his return to politics after his release from prison, Obasanjo said he initially intended to focus on his family before delegations from different parts of the country persuaded him to seek elective office.
He added that he consulted political leaders across Nigeria before eventually joining the Peoples Democratic Party.
The former President said his political disagreements with late Afenifere leader, Chief Abraham Adesanya, and other opposition figures never affected their personal relationships, stressing that politics should be driven by ideas rather than hostility.
Obasanjo also defended his decision to appoint members of the Alliance for Democracy into his administration after assuming office in 1999, saying the move was intended to promote national unity rather than political survival.
He dismissed Osoba's claim that he depended on the six Alliance for Democracy governors to stabilise his administration, arguing that he already had the backing of the Federal Executive Council, the National Assembly and the majority of state governors.
While criticising Afenifere for what he described as its inability to move beyond ethnic politics, Obasanjo commended Osoba for allocating the land that now houses the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, describing it as one of the former governor's most enduring contributions to Ogun State.
He concluded by urging Osoba to embrace humility and gratitude, noting that political rivalry should never destroy long-standing personal relationships.
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