Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called his selection of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election the biggest error of his political career.
Obasanjo made the comment in Lagos during a fireside discussion with renowned entertainer Charles Oputa, often known as Charly Boy, during the Charly Boy Foundation’s premiere and the release of his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
The former president and Atiku were elected on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform in 1999, and they served as president and vice president until 2007.
Reflecting on his tenure in government, Obasanjo stated that in retrospect, 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 stated.
He, however, remarked “that he harbours no bitterness over the eventual breakdown of their relationship, adding that the challenges arising from it did not prevent his administration from achieving its goals”.
Obasanjo also addressed the ongoing debate concerning his ancestry, arguing that his roots are in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he claims his family home still stands.