Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his decision to pick Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake of his political career.
Obasanjo made the remark on Friday during a fireside chat with veteran musician and activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, in Lagos.
The event was held to mark the unveiling of Charly Boy’s foundation and his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
Reflecting on his years in office, the former president said that, with the benefit of hindsight, he would not have selected Atiku as vice president.
“I would say the greatest mistake I made was picking Atiku Abubakar as my vice president in 1999,” Obasanjo said.
Despite their differences, Obasanjo said he harboured no bitterness toward his former deputy, adding that their disagreements did not prevent him from fulfilling his administration’s goals.
“There is no bitterness in me over what happened. Despite everything, I was able to achieve what I set out to achieve while in power,” he stated.
The former president also addressed long-standing questions about his ancestry, stating that both his parents were from Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
“I still know our family house there,” he said.
The event was attended by several prominent personalities, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, business mogul Leo Stan Ekeh, book reviewer Dr Austin Tam-George, veteran broadcaster Bisi Olatilo and other dignitaries.
Obasanjo and Atiku were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and served as President and Vice President between 1999 and 2007. Their relationship later deteriorated during their second term in office following political disagreements.