‘I Cleaned You Up, I Stood Against You’ – Atiku Replies Obasanjo Over Third Term Comments
By Danjuma AMODU
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s latest criticism of him as “yet another failed attempt to rewrite history,” insisting that his refusal to support a third-term bid was in defense of the Constitution and not personal betrayal.
In a statement issued on Saturday, August 1, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said he watched Obasanjo’s recent interview with “profound sadness, not anger,” describing it as a product of personal resentment clouding historical facts.
“I chose Nigeria over personal loyalty. The Constitution is supreme.”
– Atiku Abubakar
Atiku, the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, said the source of Obasanjo’s hostility has always been clear to Nigerians.
“I am proud that I stood against the third-term agenda. I am proud that I stood by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have no apology whatsoever for frustrating every attempt to subvert our democracy for personal ambition,” he said.
“If Chief Obasanjo’s bitterness stems from my refusal to support an unconstitutional third term, then I wear that resentment as a badge of honour. No individual, regardless of his status or accomplishments, is bigger than the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Atiku stated.
He said the fight against the third-term agenda was never about individuals but about safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy for future generations. “The Nigerian people won that battle. Democracy won that battle. History has already delivered its verdict,” he said.
Atiku also drew attention to the timing of Obasanjo’s remarks, noting that barely 24 hours earlier, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had described the economic management team he led as “the best Nigeria has ever had.”
The former Vice President went further to recount his role in Obasanjo’s political journey, saying he stood by the former President while he was in prison and later mobilized support for his emergence as President in 1999.
“History records that while Chief Obasanjo was in prison, I stood firmly by him. I supported his family, worked tirelessly with other patriots for his release and never wavered in my belief that he deserved his freedom,” Atiku said.
“When he eventually regained his freedom, he had little to his name. I received him, clothed him, ensured he was properly cared for and extended every support necessary to help him regain his footing. Beyond that, I mobilised political structures, built alliances and made enormous personal and political sacrifices that culminated in his emergence as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.
“Do I regret helping Chief Obasanjo? Absolutely not. When God gives you the opportunity to lift another human being, you do so without expecting repayment. Acts of kindness are matters of conscience, not commercial transactions,” Atiku said.
He expressed disappointment that at a time Nigeria is battling economic hardship, unemployment and insecurity, a former President would be “recycling old grudges instead of contributing solutions.”
“The 2027 election should be about rebuilding Nigeria, restoring security, reviving the economy and giving hope to the next generation — not reopening old political wounds,” he said.
Atiku said he had maintained restraint over the years out of respect for the office Obasanjo once occupied, but warned that such restraint should not be mistaken for weakness.
“Chief Obasanjo is entitled to his opinions. What he is not entitled to are his own facts.”
– Atiku Abubakar
He concluded by reaffirming his focus on national issues.
“I have chosen the path of service over resentment, vision over vendetta and national renewal over personal recrimination. History is stubborn. It cannot be rewritten by bitterness, nor erased by repeated falsehoods. In the end, history will render its verdict — and so will the Nigerian people.”
