Demola Olarewaju, a political aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, maintains that the historical conflict between his boss and former President Olusegun Obasanjo is strictly political. During a radio appearance on Eagle 102.5 FM, Olarewaju asserted that there is no underlying personal grudge between the two men, noting that Abubakar continues to respect the former president.
According to Olarewaju, the tension stems from Obasanjo’s apparent determination to prevent Abubakar from reaching the presidency. He further suggested that Obasanjo suffers from an inflated sense of self-importance, believing that no other leader is capable of matching his record or governing the country effectively. This conflict has persisted since their joint administration concluded in 2007.
The rivalry recently gained momentum after Obasanjo characterized his selection of Abubakar as a running mate in 1999 as his greatest political blunder and accused him of orchestrating an impeachment plot in 2003. Abubakar’s camp swiftly dismissed these claims as fabrications and historical inaccuracies. The former vice president contends that Obasanjo’s resentment is actually rooted in Abubakar’s opposition to a proposed third term for the former president. During the same broadcast, Ayodeji Ologun of the Centre for Responsive Governance emphasized the necessity for public transparency regarding these political figures.
