Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again described his choice of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake he made while serving in public office.
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Obasanjo spoke on Friday in Lagos during the launch of a foundation and memoir by veteran entertainer and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy.
The memoir is titled 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
Asked to identify the biggest error of his presidency, the former Nigerian leader said he regretted selecting Atiku as his deputy, noting that he would have made a different decision had he known him better at the time.
According to Obasanjo, his experience with Atiku after they assumed office changed his perception of the former vice president.
"If I had known him the way I later came to know him, I would never have chosen him as my running mate," he said.
When the moderator sought confirmation that he was referring to Atiku, Obasanjo replied that he was talking about his former vice president.
Despite the criticism, the former President said he bore no grudge against Atiku, explaining that although they disagreed on several issues, their differences did not prevent him from pursuing his administration's agenda.
"There is no bitterness. He acted according to his convictions, and I focused on my responsibility to the country," Obasanjo stated.
The relationship between the two politicians deteriorated during their second term in office, following a series of political disagreements that eventually led to their public fallout.
Obasanjo had previously made a similar remark in 2022, when he told students in Abeokuta that appointing Atiku as his deputy was one of the genuine mistakes of his public career.
His latest comments came barely a week after both men exchanged words over Obasanjo's allegation that Atiku offered the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na'Abba, N5 million to support moves to impeach him before the 2003 general election. Atiku rejected the allegation, describing it as unfounded.
The former President also reflected on the Nigerian Civil War during the event, insisting that the military operation was intended to preserve the country's unity rather than target any ethnic group.
He added that he deliberately avoided actions that could have resulted in heavy civilian casualties.
Obasanjo further addressed questions about his ancestry, maintaining that his family roots are in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Among those present at the event were former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, National Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi, technology entrepreneur Leo Stan Ekeh and veteran broadcaster Bisi Olatilo.
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