REWIND: In 2019, Obasanjo lost his polling unit — after endorsing Atiku for president

On Sunday, former President Olusegun Obasanjo formally endorsed Peter Obi, standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP), for the office of president.

The endorsement was contained in a New Year message to Nigerians.

“None of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedent, their understanding, knowledge, discipline and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge,” Obasanjo had said in the message.

In August, TheCable had reported how sources said the former president was lobbying Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, to throw his weight behind Obi.

The former president was said to have been attempting to get Wike on the side of the LP presidential candidate, amid the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Atiku Abubakar, the former vice-president who served in the Obasanjo administration, is the presidential candidate of the PDP for the 2023 general election.

Meanwhile, ahead of the 2019 presidential election, Obasanjo endorsed Abubakar who was also the standard bearer of the PDP at the time.

At the time, the former president said Abubakar was better than incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

“You surely understand the economy better; you have business experience, which can make your administration business-friendly and boost the economy and provide jobs,” he had said.

“You have better outreach nationally and internationally and that can translate to better management of foreign affairs. You are more accessible and less inflexible and more open to all parts of the country in many ways.”

OBASANJO LOST HIS POLLING UNIT TO BUHARI

Despite his endorsement of Abubakar, Obasanjo lost his polling unit to Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2019 polls.

Election results from his polling unit in ward 22 in Abeokuta north LGA showed that the current president polled 87 votes to defeat Abubakar who secured 18 votes.