‘I clothed and fed him after prison’ — Atiku hits back at Obasanjo

Atiku Abubakar has responded to Olusegun Obasanjo’s claim that picking him as vice president was his biggest mistake, saying he supported and cared for Obasanjo after prison and arguing the former president’s real grievance is Atiku’s opposition to his third-term bid.

Atiku Abubakar isn’t taking Obasanjo’s “biggest mistake” jab lying down.

In a statement issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the ADC presidential candidate said he watched Obasanjo’s recent interview “with sadness rather than anger,” before laying out a very different version of their history.

Vanguard reports that Atiku recalled standing by Obasanjo through his prison years, supporting his family, and pushing for his release. “When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for,” he said.

But the real sore point, Atiku argued, is the collapsed third-term agenda. “I am proud that I stood against the third-term agenda… I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition,” he said, adding he’d wear Obasanjo’s resentment as “a badge of honour” if that’s truly its source.

He framed the fight as one for Nigeria’s Constitution, not a personal rivalry, and pointed to recent comments from WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala praising his economic management team, questioning why Obasanjo’s attack surfaced now. “Whether or not the timing is merely coincidental is for Nigerians to judge,” he said.

Atiku said he holds no regrets over his past sacrifices, calling them matters of conscience rather than favors owed — but warned against letting gratitude curdle into “revisionism.” He expressed disappointment that a former president would revisit old grudges while Nigeria battles economic hardship, unemployment, and insecurity, insisting the 2027 election should focus on rebuilding rather than old wounds.

“Chief Obasanjo is entitled to his opinions… What he is not entitled to are his own facts,” he said. “History is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten by bitterness, nor erased by repeated falsehoods. In the end, history will render its verdict—and so will the Nigerian people.”