Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake of his political career.
Obasanjo made the remark in Lagos on Friday during a fireside chat with Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the unveiling of the Charly Boy Foundation and the launch of his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
The former president and his vice, Atiku, were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 and served as president and vice president together until 2007.
Obasanjo Reflects on His Years in Power
Reflecting on his time in office, Obasanjo said that with the benefit of hindsight, he would not have chosen Atiku as his vice-presidential candidate.
“I would say the greatest mistake I made was picking Atiku Abubakar as my vice president in 1999,” Obasanjo said.
He said he holds no bitterness over how their relationship later broke down, adding that he was grateful the fallout did not derail his administration.
“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 said.
Obasanjo also addressed long-running questions about his ancestry, maintaining that his parents were from Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
“I still know our family house there,” he said.
The event, which combined the launch of Obasanjo’s memoir with the unveiling of the Charly Boy Foundation, drew several prominent figures, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi, Zinox Group Chairman Leo Stan Ekeh, book reviewer Dr. Austin Tam-George, and veteran broadcaster Bisi Olatilo.
During the event, Ekeh announced a donation of ₦20 million each on behalf of Obasanjo and Anyaoku in support of the newly unveiled foundation, which is expected to support charitable and community initiatives championed by Charly Boy.
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It is amazing what we tend to acknowledge and confirm when taken through the lens of hindsight. No matter the regrets, decisions have already been made, we can only manage the effects of those decisions.
Congratulations to Chale boy on his launch.