A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has alleged that former President Olusegun Obasanjo's lingering hostility towards former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is rooted largely in the collapse of the controversial third-term agenda of his administration.
Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), said Obasanjo should put the political battles of the past behind him and desist from what he described as persistent attacks on Atiku, particularly over the former Vice President's role in opposing the proposed constitutional amendment that would have permitted an additional presidential tenure.
The ADC chieftain spoke in a statement on Monday while reacting to Obasanjo's recent remarks in which the former President described his decision to pick Atiku as his running mate ahead of the 1999 presidential election as one of his greatest mistakes.
Obasanjo had, during a recent public event in Lagos, expressed regret over his choice of Atiku as Vice President, reigniting a long-running political dispute between the two former leaders.
The exchange has since generated fresh national debate, with Atiku publicly insisting that he had no regrets over his opposition to the third-term agenda and that his loyalty to the Nigerian Constitution took precedence over personal allegiance.
But Eze said the latest remarks by Obasanjo demonstrated that the political fallout between the two men had not been fully laid to rest nearly two decades after they left office.
He argued that Atiku's opposition to the third-term proposal represented a defining moment in the deterioration of the once formidable political alliance between the former President and his deputy.
According to him, the former Vice President should not be vilified for taking what he described as a patriotic and constitutional stand against tenure elongation.
"Atiku's unpardonable sin, in the eyes of Obasanjo, is his courage to stand against the third-term agenda. He chose the Constitution and the survival of Nigeria's democracy over personal loyalty," Eze said.
He added: "The proposed constitutional amendment failed because Nigerians, political leaders and members of the National Assembly resisted any attempt to alter the democratic framework for personal ambition. Atiku was one of the prominent political figures who opposed that project."
The proposed constitutional amendment was rejected by the Senate in May 2006, bringing the controversial tenure-extension effort to an end. Atiku has repeatedly maintained that his opposition to the initiative remains a matter of principle and one for which he owes no apology.
Eze said it was unfortunate that Obasanjo continued to invoke Atiku's name in a manner he considered derogatory, despite what he described as the former Vice President's contributions to Obasanjo's political emergence and administration.
He claimed that Atiku played a crucial role in the political negotiations and mobilisation that preceded Obasanjo's emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party's presidential candidate in 1999.
The ADC stalwart said Atiku's support for Obasanjo was informed by what he described as overriding national considerations at a critical period in Nigeria's political history following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election and the subsequent death of its presumed winner, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.
Eze said Atiku had, in his view, placed national unity and the political imperative of rebuilding the country above personal ambition.
"At that critical period, the overriding consideration was how to stabilise Nigeria and address the deep national wounds created by the June 12 crisis," he said.
"Atiku had political structures, national reach and considerable influence, yet he chose to support a political arrangement that eventually produced Obasanjo as President. That is a major chapter of the history that should not be casually dismissed."
Eze, who said he had been a close political associate of Atiku for several years, claimed that he had initially advised the former Vice President to exercise caution over his support for Obasanjo's presidential ambition.
According to him, Atiku nevertheless proceeded with the alliance on the grounds of patriotism and national interest.
He said Atiku also disregarded pressure from some political leaders who believed the former Vice President should take advantage of his political strength to pursue his own presidential ambition at different stages of the Obasanjo administration.
"Atiku made political decisions that were not always in his personal interest because he believed at the time that the unity and stability of Nigeria were paramount," Eze said.
The former Turaki Vanguard media director further recalled the role of the political network associated with the late General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, particularly the People's Democratic Movement, in the political realignments that shaped the 1999 transition.
He said the political structures and alliances available to Atiku were instrumental, in his assessment, to the eventual success of the Obasanjo presidential project.
Eze also argued that Atiku's political and administrative contributions to the Obasanjo government should be assessed independently of the subsequent collapse of their relationship.
He noted that the former Vice President chaired the National Council on Privatisation and played a prominent role in the economic management architecture of the administration between 1999 and 2007.
Atiku has also cited his record in government and his role in economic management while responding to Obasanjo's latest criticism.
Eze said the disagreement between the two former leaders should not overshadow what he described as Atiku's contributions to the administration.
"The history of the Obasanjo administration cannot be written without acknowledging the role played by Atiku in the economic and political management of the country during that period," he said.
The ADC chieftain, however, urged Obasanjo to embrace reconciliation and allow political differences of the past to remain in history.
He said leaders of the stature of the former President should focus on strengthening national cohesion and mentoring future generations rather than reopening old political wounds.
"At this stage of life, Chief Obasanjo should make peace with those with whom he has had political disagreements. There is no reason to continue carrying bitterness over political events that took place decades ago," Eze said.
He added: "No political disagreement should be allowed to become a permanent source of personal hostility. Atiku has made his position clear: he is proud of standing against what he believed was an unconstitutional attempt to extend presidential tenure."
Eze maintained that the former Vice President's role in the third-term controversy was not an act of personal betrayal but, rather, a political decision based on constitutional considerations.
Atiku himself has said he chose Nigeria and democracy over personal loyalty in opposing the third-term agenda, while accusing Obasanjo of allowing personal resentment to colour the interpretation of their political history.
The ADC chieftain therefore urged Nigerians to distinguish between the claims and counterclaims of the protagonists and the broader historical questions surrounding the bitter political rupture between the two former leaders.
Eze said while political actors and historians may differ on the origins and evolution of the Obasanjo-Atiku feud, the third-term controversy remains one of the most consequential flashpoints in their political relationship. Some recent analyses have also argued that the dispute predated the third-term battle, suggesting that earlier disagreements over Obasanjo's second-term ambition contributed to the breakdown of trust between the two leaders.
He insisted, however, that Atiku's resistance to the third-term proposal remained central to the enduring political hostility between the two men.
"Whatever anybody may say today, the collapse of the third-term agenda was a watershed in the relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku. It fundamentally altered the political equation between them, and its consequences have continued to echo in Nigeria's politics," Eze said.
He advised Obasanjo to allow Atiku to concentrate on his current political activities and the opposition's preparations ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to him, Nigeria's political leaders should devote their energies to addressing the country's pressing challenges rather than perpetuating personal animosities.
"Atiku and other political leaders are now focused on the future of Nigeria. The debate should be about governance, the economy, security, national unity and how to build a better country," Eze said.
"The time has come for the elder statesmen of this country to rise above old battles and leave behind a legacy of reconciliation, forgiveness and commitment to the Nigerian project."
