Thefeud between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his ex-vice president, Atiku Abubakar, is responsible for the fragmentation of the African Democratic Congress-led opposition coalition,Sunday PUNCHhas learnt.Credible sources in the ADC and Kwankwasiyya Movement confided in our correspondent that Obasanjo’s alleged inability to stop Atiku’s emergence as the ADC presidential candidate was the beginning of the division in the party.According to a principal officer of the ADC, Obasanjo had allegedly called and instructed some of the party leaders not to allow Atiku to be their candidate if indeed they wanted him to support the party.“Obi had not even nursed defection at that time. After that discussion with Baba (Obasanjo), Obi’s supporters began the ‘Obi or nobody’ mantra and there was turbulence which we were able to manage.“However, Baba and Obi interpreted the Ibadan Opposition Coalition Summit to mean that we wanted to fly an Atiku-Makinde presidential ticket. So, they began preparations to exit the party,” the party official said.He noted that when it was clear that Obi wanted to leave the ADC, the party’s National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and some others went to meet Obasanjo in late April to persuade him to talk to Obi not to defect.According to another insider and a leader of the ADC, Obasanjo insisted that the only condition for Obi to remain in the ADC was for them to ensure that Atiku didn’t get the presidential ticket.“An Atiku-Obi alliance would have secured victory for ADC, but Baba obviously didn’t want Atiku to realise his presidential ambition. That is my view, anyway,” the source added.Obi left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises and the “urgent need to address the country’s worsening situation.”The former Anambra State governor, on hisXhandle, said his exit from the party was driven by “deep reflection” on the state of the nation and the need to reposition himself to contribute more effectively to national progress.One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Credible sources in the ADC and Kwankwasiyya Movement confided in our correspondent that Obasanjo’s alleged inability to stop Atiku’s emergence as the ADC presidential candidate was the beginning of the division in the party.According to a principal officer of the ADC, Obasanjo had allegedly called and instructed some of the party leaders not to allow Atiku to be their candidate if indeed they wanted him to support the party.“Obi had not even nursed defection at that time. After that discussion with Baba (Obasanjo), Obi’s supporters began the ‘Obi or nobody’ mantra and there was turbulence which we were able to manage.“However, Baba and Obi interpreted the Ibadan Opposition Coalition Summit to mean that we wanted to fly an Atiku-Makinde presidential ticket. So, they began preparations to exit the party,” the party official said.He noted that when it was clear that Obi wanted to leave the ADC, the party’s National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and some others went to meet Obasanjo in late April to persuade him to talk to Obi not to defect.According to another insider and a leader of the ADC, Obasanjo insisted that the only condition for Obi to remain in the ADC was for them to ensure that Atiku didn’t get the presidential ticket.“An Atiku-Obi alliance would have secured victory for ADC, but Baba obviously didn’t want Atiku to realise his presidential ambition. That is my view, anyway,” the source added.Obi left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises and the “urgent need to address the country’s worsening situation.”The former Anambra State governor, on hisXhandle, said his exit from the party was driven by “deep reflection” on the state of the nation and the need to reposition himself to contribute more effectively to national progress.One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. According to a principal officer of the ADC, Obasanjo had allegedly called and instructed some of the party leaders not to allow Atiku to be their candidate if indeed they wanted him to support the party.“Obi had not even nursed defection at that time. After that discussion with Baba (Obasanjo), Obi’s supporters began the ‘Obi or nobody’ mantra and there was turbulence which we were able to manage.“However, Baba and Obi interpreted the Ibadan Opposition Coalition Summit to mean that we wanted to fly an Atiku-Makinde presidential ticket. So, they began preparations to exit the party,” the party official said.He noted that when it was clear that Obi wanted to leave the ADC, the party’s National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and some others went to meet Obasanjo in late April to persuade him to talk to Obi not to defect.According to another insider and a leader of the ADC, Obasanjo insisted that the only condition for Obi to remain in the ADC was for them to ensure that Atiku didn’t get the presidential ticket.“An Atiku-Obi alliance would have secured victory for ADC, but Baba obviously didn’t want Atiku to realise his presidential ambition. That is my view, anyway,” the source added.Obi left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises and the “urgent need to address the country’s worsening situation.”The former Anambra State governor, on hisXhandle, said his exit from the party was driven by “deep reflection” on the state of the nation and the need to reposition himself to contribute more effectively to national progress.One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “Obi had not even nursed defection at that time. After that discussion with Baba (Obasanjo), Obi’s supporters began the ‘Obi or nobody’ mantra and there was turbulence which we were able to manage.“However, Baba and Obi interpreted the Ibadan Opposition Coalition Summit to mean that we wanted to fly an Atiku-Makinde presidential ticket. So, they began preparations to exit the party,” the party official said.He noted that when it was clear that Obi wanted to leave the ADC, the party’s National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and some others went to meet Obasanjo in late April to persuade him to talk to Obi not to defect.According to another insider and a leader of the ADC, Obasanjo insisted that the only condition for Obi to remain in the ADC was for them to ensure that Atiku didn’t get the presidential ticket.“An Atiku-Obi alliance would have secured victory for ADC, but Baba obviously didn’t want Atiku to realise his presidential ambition. That is my view, anyway,” the source added.Obi left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises and the “urgent need to address the country’s worsening situation.”The former Anambra State governor, on hisXhandle, said his exit from the party was driven by “deep reflection” on the state of the nation and the need to reposition himself to contribute more effectively to national progress.One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “However, Baba and Obi interpreted the Ibadan Opposition Coalition Summit to mean that we wanted to fly an Atiku-Makinde presidential ticket. So, they began preparations to exit the party,” the party official said.He noted that when it was clear that Obi wanted to leave the ADC, the party’s National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and some others went to meet Obasanjo in late April to persuade him to talk to Obi not to defect.According to another insider and a leader of the ADC, Obasanjo insisted that the only condition for Obi to remain in the ADC was for them to ensure that Atiku didn’t get the presidential ticket.“An Atiku-Obi alliance would have secured victory for ADC, but Baba obviously didn’t want Atiku to realise his presidential ambition. That is my view, anyway,” the source added.Obi left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises and the “urgent need to address the country’s worsening situation.”The former Anambra State governor, on hisXhandle, said his exit from the party was driven by “deep reflection” on the state of the nation and the need to reposition himself to contribute more effectively to national progress.One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. He noted that when it was clear that Obi wanted to leave the ADC, the party’s National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and some others went to meet Obasanjo in late April to persuade him to talk to Obi not to defect.According to another insider and a leader of the ADC, Obasanjo insisted that the only condition for Obi to remain in the ADC was for them to ensure that Atiku didn’t get the presidential ticket.“An Atiku-Obi alliance would have secured victory for ADC, but Baba obviously didn’t want Atiku to realise his presidential ambition. That is my view, anyway,” the source added.Obi left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises and the “urgent need to address the country’s worsening situation.”The former Anambra State governor, on hisXhandle, said his exit from the party was driven by “deep reflection” on the state of the nation and the need to reposition himself to contribute more effectively to national progress.One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. According to another insider and a leader of the ADC, Obasanjo insisted that the only condition for Obi to remain in the ADC was for them to ensure that Atiku didn’t get the presidential ticket.“An Atiku-Obi alliance would have secured victory for ADC, but Baba obviously didn’t want Atiku to realise his presidential ambition. That is my view, anyway,” the source added.Obi left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises and the “urgent need to address the country’s worsening situation.”The former Anambra State governor, on hisXhandle, said his exit from the party was driven by “deep reflection” on the state of the nation and the need to reposition himself to contribute more effectively to national progress.One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “An Atiku-Obi alliance would have secured victory for ADC, but Baba obviously didn’t want Atiku to realise his presidential ambition. That is my view, anyway,” the source added.Obi left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises and the “urgent need to address the country’s worsening situation.”The former Anambra State governor, on hisXhandle, said his exit from the party was driven by “deep reflection” on the state of the nation and the need to reposition himself to contribute more effectively to national progress.One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Obi left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises and the “urgent need to address the country’s worsening situation.”The former Anambra State governor, on hisXhandle, said his exit from the party was driven by “deep reflection” on the state of the nation and the need to reposition himself to contribute more effectively to national progress.One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. The former Anambra State governor, on hisXhandle, said his exit from the party was driven by “deep reflection” on the state of the nation and the need to reposition himself to contribute more effectively to national progress.One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. One of Aregbesola’s loyalists who spoke withSunday PUNCHon condition of anonymity confirmed that the ADC secretary actually made efforts to stop Obi’s defection.“That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “That is not a lie. Oga (Aregbesola) did everything to stop Obi and Kwankwaso from leaving the ADC. He went to meet Obasanjo and other key leaders of the country. However, I didn’t know if it was Obasanjo who instructed Obi to leave the party,” he said on Thursday.Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Similarly, a chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, a political group loyal to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed toSunday PUNCHthat Obasanjo was instrumental to Obi’s exit from the ADC.According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. According to the loyalist, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, the final whistle of defection was blown by Obasanjo, whom he described as “Obi’s compass.”“From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “From the beginning, the former President has eyed the ADC presidential ticket for Obi. He is the brains behind his movement to the ADC. He was driving the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.“Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “Both Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee which strategised for them. But when it was clear that the ADC presidential ticket couldn’t be taken away from Atiku, our leaders had to report to him (Obasanjo), and I believe it was afterward that both Obi and our leader (Kwankwaso) decided to leave the ADC,” he said.The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. The former chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party maintained that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso could go against Obasanjo’s wish, and that the former President’s resentment towards Atiku had continued to hurt the former vice president.“If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “If you say Obasanjo divided the opposition because of his hatred for Atiku, you should know that he was also a major pillar in the formation of the coalition. I know of a particular former governor who Baba pleaded with to join the ADC.“The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “The ex-governor was not ready to take any role in the party but the former President persuaded him. We have many of them like that. So, you cannot hold the polarisation of the ADC against the former President.”The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed that Obasanjo influenced Obi’s final decision to leave the ADC.He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. He said Obasanjo’s hate for the former vice president was a major reason for his directive to Obi to leave the ADC.Related NewsOsun: Inside Tinubu’s emergency meeting with 76 APC leadersZamfara gov celebrates APC chair at 58Osun: Before algorithms, vices kidnap the polls“Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “Everybody in Nigeria is aware of Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku for whatever reason. We also know that he has been the driving force behind Peter Obi’s campaign. It is public knowledge that Obasanjo is behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.“Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “Obasanjo had spoken to many of our party leaders and told them that they should do whatever it takes to ensure that Atiku didn’t emerge as the ADC presidential candidate. But with the reality on the ground, Obi couldn’t get the ticket, so he left, obviously at the instance of Obasanjo’s directive,” Abdullahi said.However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. However, the ADC spokesperson said he wasn’t aware of any delegation sent to Obasanjo to persuade him to accept an Atiku-Obi joint ticket.He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. He acknowledged that Obasanjo’s hate for Atiku crippled the opposition coalition.“It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “It has affected the work of coalition building and the opposition would probably have it much easier if the coalition had not been fractured.“But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “But despite that, our mission is not impossible. What is certain is that Nigerians don’t want to continue with this Tinubu’s administration. That is the basis for our confidence that we’ll still win the 2027 election.”Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Speaking withSunday PUNCH,the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was not aware of Obasanjo’s alleged directive to Obi to leave the ADC.He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. He maintained that while Obi enjoys a cordial relationship with Obasanjo, the former governor had from the beginning insisted on contesting the 2027 presidential election.“All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “All I know is that decisions were made based on the prevailing circumstances then. We knew ADC had court cases that may deprive Obi to run for election, and we didn’t want to go through that stress. So, today, we are happy Obi is the candidate of the NDC,” he said.Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Asked if he was aware of the move to make Obi Atiku’s running mate, Tanko said, “I am not aware of such a decision. But from the beginning, Obi had made it clear that he would be on the ballot for the presidency and that was what he has maintained with the support of his supporters.”“There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. “There has been a very cordial relationship between Obasanjo and Obi, including Atiku himself. The former governor doesn’t play politics of bitterness, but politics of objectivity based on issues as it affects Nigerians.”When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. When contacted, the Special Assistant on Media to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the matter.Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Further attempts to reach him were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Obasanjo vs AtikuObasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Obasanjo and Atiku’s feud dated back to their administration between 1999 and 2007.Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Before the end of their tenure, Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006, as it was obvious that Obasanjo didn’t want to support him.On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. On December 9, 2014, Obasanjo unveiled a book titled ‘My Watch’, which was highly critical of Atiku.He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. He accused Atiku of disloyalty and poor judgment, and questioned his integrity and transparency, alleging that the ex-vice president had a “propensity to corruption” and relied excessively on money and political influence.Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Last Friday, Obasanjo described his decision to pick former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the biggest mistake of his presidency.But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. But Atiku fired back, claiming that he clothed the ex-president when he had nothing and ensured he emerged as the president in 1999.Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory. Atiku added that his refusal to support Obasanjo’s third-term agenda was the main reason for the persistent attack from his former boss, maintaining that the ex-president couldn’t stop his 2027 victory.