BEVERLY HILLS, August 4, (THEWILL) – Controversial former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said he will not support former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid in 2019.
“How can I be on the same side with Atiku? To do what? If I support Atiku for anything, God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know, Atiku can never enjoy my support,” he added, according to a report by Premium Times, which said it interviewed the former President on his return from Kigali, Rwanda.
THEWILL notes that Obasanjo and Atiku, who was his deputy (1999-2007) have had no love lost relationship following their well documented beef which began after powerful state governors of their party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, almost successfully got Atiku to seek the party’s presidential ticket and stop Obasanjo from getting reelected in 2003.
Various credible accounts of the events of that time said Obasanjo knelt down to beg Atiku not to run and humiliate him.
Atiku, who has had multiple unsuccessful presidential runs starting from 1999, formally declared another presidential run two weeks ago on the platform of the PDP, presumably his last as he is in his 70s.
Obasanjo, who many believe was corrupt during his tenure, has repeatedly labeled Atiku as corrupt and mounted a vicious campaign against him though the former vice president has never been charged for corruption. Atiku has also challenged anyone with proof of graft against him to make it public.
“I do not have personal grudges with anyone,” Mr. Obasanjo said. “If you do not do well for Nigeria, you do not do well for all of us.”
“It is not a question of working with or not working with an individual,” he said. “If you are working for the good of Nigeria, I am working with you. If you are not working for the good of Nigeria it does not matter who you are I am not working with you…”
“I know Atiku very well. And I have mentioned my position with Atiku. My position has not changed,” he said. “On a personal note, “If my children are getting married, he has sent representatives. If his children are getting married, I have sent representatives. That is social. That is not political.
“But on political ground, my position has not changed. If I support Atiku for a political office other than the one I supported him in the past when I did not know him,” maybe, but not “now that I know him, God will not forgive me,” Obasanjo said according to the report.
Atiku is boxed in a fierce contest to clinch the PDP presidential ticket ahead of several other notable presidential aspirants at the party’s primary likely to hold around October.
