Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has defended his opposition to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s controversial third-term agenda, saying he remains proud of his role in preventing what he described as an attempt to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
Atiku’s reaction follows Obasanjo’s recent remark that choosing him as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election was the biggest mistake of his presidency.
Responding through a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku rejected Obasanjo’s comments, insisting that he would never apologise for defending the Constitution.
“I am proud that I stood against the third-term agenda. I am proud that I stood by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition,” Atiku said.
He added that if Obasanjo’s displeasure stemmed from his refusal to support an unconstitutional extension of tenure, he would wear that resentment “as a badge of honour.”
According to the former vice president, the fight against the proposed third-term bid was not about personal differences but about safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy.
“The battle was never about two individuals but about preserving Nigeria’s constitutional democracy for future generations. The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict,” he stated.
Atiku also dismissed Obasanjo’s assessment of their political relationship, claiming he played a major role in the former president’s return to national politics after his release from prison.
He said he stood by Obasanjo during his incarceration, supported his family, worked with other patriots to secure his freedom, and provided him with financial and political support after his release.
According to Atiku, he also mobilised political structures and built alliances that contributed significantly to Obasanjo’s emergence as president in 1999.
Despite the current rift between them, Atiku said he has no regrets over the assistance he rendered, stressing that acts of kindness should not be done with the expectation of reward.
“Do I regret helping Chief Obasanjo? Absolutely not. When God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not commercial transactions. Gratitude should never be replaced with revisionism,” he said.
