Picking Atiku as my VP in 1999 was a mistake, says Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says picking a running mate when he wanted to become Nigeria’s president in 1999 is one of the mistakes in his life.

Obasanjo spoke on Saturday during a leadership mentoring session with selected students in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

He however said God saved him from the mistake because it was a “genuine” one.

“One thing that has happened to me is that God has never disappointed me and that is very important. For instance, one of the mistakes I made was picking a number two when I was going to become president. But because it is a genuine mistake, God saved me out of it,” the former president said.

“Some people thought it was a mistake for me to go into the army. It could have been a mistake or when Abacha wanted to arrest me, I was told by the American ambassador that they will arrest me and that America has asked I should be given asylum. I said, no.

“It could have been a mistake because I could have lost my life. So I will say, many things that could have been a mistake but God saved me from them all.”

Obasanjo was elected president in 1999 after the country returned to democratic rule, and he was re-elected in 2003 for another term of four years.

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was Obasanjo’s vice-president from 1999 to 2007.

Before the end of their tenure in 2007, the duo’s relationship had disintegrated.

During the build-up to the 2019 presidential election, the former president said Atiku, who was contesting for president, can never enjoy his support for any political office, adding that God will not forgive him if he supports Atiku.