Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has made a startling revelation regarding his past relationship with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, claiming he saved the former leader’s life during his incarceration.
Atiku made the statement while speaking with journalists amid a renewed public fallout between the two former leaders over their political history and their administration’s emergence in 1999.
“I saved Obasanjo’s life”
According to Atiku Abubakar, he received intelligence while Obasanjo was imprisoned regarding a plot to administer a potentially fatal injection to him.
“I saved Obasanjo’s life in prison by leaking information about an impending injection that could have killed him,” Atiku declared.
He alleged that a similar lethal injection scheme had led to the death of the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, prompting him to warn Obasanjo to reject any injections while in custody.
Atiku Abubakar traces Feud to third-term bid
The revelation comes as Atiku accused Obasanjo of attempting to alter historical facts regarding their political alliance.
Atiku stated that despite assisting Obasanjo during his prison years and supporting his political comeback, the former president turned against him due to his fierce opposition to Obasanjo’s third-term agenda.
Dismissing Obasanjo’s electoral influence, Atiku argued that the former president lacked the standalone strength to win the presidency in 1999 without the backing of Northern political leaders.
“In 1999, he could not even win his own state or the South-West; it was Arewa that made him President. He possesses no electoral value,” Atiku said.
He added that he played a foundational role in building the political machinery that brought their government into power and highlighted his past efforts in mentoring young Nigerians who went on to become governors and ministers.
The exchange marks the latest chapter in the long-standing friction between the two former allies as discussions intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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