The longstanding political rift between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his former deputy, Atiku Abubakar, has been identified by sources as a major factor behind the crisis that fractured the African Democratic Congress-led opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Sources within the ADC and the Kwankwasiyya Movement told Sunday PUNCH that Obasanjo allegedly opposed Atiku emerging as the coalition’s presidential candidate and urged some party leaders to prevent his nomination if they wanted his support.
The allegation has, however, been disputed by associates of Peter Obi, while Obasanjo’s media aide declined to comment.
A senior ADC official alleged that the former president contacted some party leaders and made his position on Atiku known before Obi began considering leaving the coalition.
According to the official, Obasanjo’s position heightened tensions among supporters of the leading presidential aspirants.
The source said Obi’s supporters subsequently began pushing the “Obi or nobody” position, creating fresh tension within the coalition.
The source further claimed that Obasanjo and Obi later interpreted the Ibadan Opposition Coalition Summit as an attempt to produce an Atiku-Makinde presidential ticket, prompting moves by Obi’s camp to exit the ADC.
Another party insider said that when it became apparent that Obi was considering leaving the coalition, ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, and other party leaders met with Obasanjo in late April.
The delegation was reportedly seeking Obasanjo’s intervention to persuade Obi to remain in the coalition.
However, the source alleged that Obasanjo maintained that Obi could only remain if Atiku was prevented from securing the ADC presidential ticket.
The source said an Atiku-Obi alliance could have strengthened the ADC’s chances in the 2027 election but alleged that Obasanjo did not want Atiku to realise his presidential ambition.
Obi eventually left the ADC on May 3, citing internal crises and the need to respond to what he described as Nigeria’s worsening situation.
An associate of Aregbesola confirmed that the former Osun State governor made efforts to prevent both Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso from leaving the coalition.
The associate, however, said he could not confirm whether Obasanjo personally instructed Obi to leave the ADC.
A chieftain of the Kwankwasiyya Movement also alleged that Obasanjo played a significant role in Obi’s eventual departure from the coalition.
According to the source, Obasanjo initially supported an Obi-Kwankwaso presidential ticket and was deeply involved in the opposition coalition project.
The source claimed that Obi and Kwankwaso had a joint ticket committee working on strategies before it became apparent that Atiku was likely to secure the ADC presidential ticket.
He alleged that both politicians subsequently left the coalition after consultations with Obasanjo.
However, the source cautioned against blaming Obasanjo entirely for the collapse of the coalition, noting that the former president had also played a role in persuading prominent politicians to join the ADC.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, also linked Obasanjo’s alleged opposition to Atiku with Obi’s departure from the party.
Abdullahi said the former president’s longstanding disagreement with Atiku was widely known and alleged that Obasanjo was behind Obi’s exit from the ADC.
He further alleged that Obasanjo had urged some party leaders to prevent Atiku from emerging as the party’s presidential candidate.
However, Abdullahi said he was unaware of any formal delegation sent to Obasanjo to seek his support for an Atiku-Obi ticket.
He acknowledged that the disagreement had complicated efforts to build a united opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 election.
Despite the setback, the ADC spokesman expressed confidence that the party could still defeat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Meanwhile, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said he was unaware of any directive from Obasanjo asking Obi to leave the ADC.
Tanko said Obi’s decision was based on political and legal considerations surrounding the party at the time.
He said concerns over ongoing court cases involving the ADC raised fears that Obi could face difficulties securing the party’s platform to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Tanko added that Obi had consistently maintained that he intended to contest the presidency in 2027 rather than serve as another candidate’s running mate.
He also described Obi’s relationships with both Obasanjo and Atiku as cordial.
Obasanjo’s Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, declined to comment on the allegations, while further calls and messages to him were reportedly unanswered as of the time of filing the report.
The political relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku deteriorated during their time as president and vice president between 1999 and 2007.
Atiku later left the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress in 2006 following disagreements with Obasanjo.
The longstanding feud resurfaced recently after Obasanjo described his decision to select Atiku as his running mate in 1999 as the biggest mistake of his presidency.
Atiku subsequently accused his former boss of attempting to rewrite history, while maintaining that his opposition to Obasanjo’s alleged third-term bid was a major source of their disagreement.
Despite the renewed tension, Atiku has maintained that the rift with Obasanjo will not stop him from pursuing his ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election.