By Ayodele Oni

Obasanjo To Osoba: “In 2003, you barely campaigned, and at the tail end of the campaign, you went on television to apologise to the people for your arrogance and informed them that the starch in your agbada caused your arrogant appearance.” – Obasanjo

23 years after, the political tsunami which swept through Southwest States in 2003 during which all Alliance for Democracy, AD, Governors lost their second term bid, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed why only then Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu was the only survivor.

Having lost in all the South-west States in 1999, not a few Nigerians were taken aback when, during his second term bid, Obasanjo not only won overwhelmingly in the Region,  but saw to the defeat of all the AD Governors by the Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, but for Tinubu.

Commenting on that unprecedented defeat of AD Governors,  Obasanjo said it was an act of God and blamed the defeated Governors for taking things for granted. He also disclosed that Tinubu survived because of what he described as a successful “muderous” change of votes – commonly called rigging

Obasanjo made these revelations in his reaction to some allegations made by former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba in his autobiography.

Osoba was one of the defeated AD Governors, and in his autobiography said Obasanjo’s defeat of the Governors was a product of deceit. He said they were deceived by Obasanjo.

But in response,  Obasanjo said  their defeat was transparent, and that Tinubu survived, as revealed to him by Tinubu’s then Head of Service, through an unprecedented rigging.

Obasanjo: “Your loss or defeat in 2003 was genuine in all the six States, except the one where the figures were successfully and murderously changed as Chief Tinubu, the Head of Service in Lagos State then, accurately reported to me.

“I took it as what God allowed.  From information that reached me from the political field, you barely campaigned and at the tail end of the campaign, you went on TV to apologise to the people for your arrogance and informed them that the starch in your agbada caused your arrogant appearance.

“The brisk movement through South-West by PDP on Thursday before the Saturday election in 2003 was incomparable and successful.  There were lessons to learn on both sides.

“I learn the lesson of whether the other side is right or wrong, there should be no bitterness and there should be accommodation and tolerance.

“Afenifere and its political party never rose beyond tribal cul de sac.  There is lesson for all in that. And it would appear that once you were not an AD or Afenifere member, you would be a liar or a deceiver.

“If you failed to follow my line, you must be maligned and set out as an enemy.  I have never believed in tribal politics.

“I sympathised with some Afenifere leaders who died with regret as they expressed to me before they died – Chief Gani Daudu, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Chief Ayo Adebanjo.  I was close to some of them before they died.  What they cherished, taught, believed and practised were not what their proteges accepted, believed and practised.

“Afenifere and what they stood for would not congratulate me when I came out of prison or when I became President.  Did it mean anything to me?  No.  I did not even know of it until I was told that they held a meeting of Afenifere to decide such pettiness.

“How mean!  Well, God answered my prayer that I was not too far away from the death bed of some of them as Yoruba elders.  I thank God that I did what I could to show no bitterness, hard feelings or lack of appreciation to God.

“Aremo, going through your Afenifere experience and all what God has done for you and where you are today, you have lessons to learn: you have many things to understand and you have thanks to give to God and to give men and women.

“And finally, it is not over until it is over and there is no end to humility and thanksgiving.  You were overwhelmed with your own interests, not to look at, or consider others.

“In politics, no one should be ignored or disregarded and politics may end, relationships may live till life’s end.  But let me remind you, the interactions that were not to the best of my knowledge influenced by party political affiliation or card.

“I wanted Governors to acquire land in Abuja and build houses.  Party consideration was not involved.  You were driven to believe, as I believed also, that it was necessary to develop Abuja.

“I remember that when you developed Osoba Hilltop and took me to show me the plot you wished to allocate to me to form a circle with the one for you and for Chief Shonekan and I shouted about price, you reminded me that when I pushed you to Abuja, you paid significantly for it.

“But the greatest service you rendered for me and for Abeokuta is the land allocated by you for Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL.  It has become the most significant landmark in Abeokuta.

“All of us in Abeokuta thank God for that landmark, thank you and thank God for your life.  The allocation was made for the good of my programme and in the best interest of Abeokuta and indeed Ogun State with little money paid by me.  There was neither politics played nor any game.”

Neither the Presidency, Osoba, nor Atiku Abubakar, Vice President then, who Obasanjo accused of giving Ghali N’abba, then Speaker of the House of Representatives, the sum of five million Naira, to start impeachment proceedings against him has reacted.

By Ayodele Oni

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied allegations by former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, that he deceived leaders of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) during the political events which led to the 2003 general elections.

In a letter dated July 23, 2026, Obasanjo described Osoba’s account, published in The Legal Observer of July 20 under the title “How Obasanjo Deceived Us in 2003,” as inaccurate, incomplete and misleading.

The former President took particular strong exception to Osoba’s description of him as deceitful, and insisted that he always acted transparently and consistently throughout his political career.

“I deceived nobody,” Obasanjo declared, arguing that he always presented issues as he understood them, regardless of whose interests were affected.

Obasanjo maintained that many of the critical political discussions preceding his emergence as President were handled by senior leaders within Afenifere and the Alliance for Democracy, adding that Osoba was not privy to several of those high-level consultations.

Recounting events after his release from prison, the former President revealed that several groups had approached him to contest the presidency, beginning with a delegation led by Lawan Katsina, followed by separate groups headed by the late Chief S.M. Afolabi and Chief Martins Kuye.

According to him, the growing calls prompted extensive consultations across the South-West, North and South-East before he eventually decided to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and pursue the presidency.

Obasanjo disclosed that he consulted prominent national figures, including Chief Richard Akinjide, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Meredith Akinloye, Prof. Oyeleye Oyediran, Adamu Ciroma, Sunday Awoniyi, Prof. Anezi Okoro and Arthur Mbanefo before making his decision.

He also revisited his meetings with the late Afenifere leader, Chief Abraham Adesanya, stating that despite Adesanya’s insistence that the Yoruba would not vote for him, he continued to accord him respect and maintained cordial relations.

The former President reiterated his long-standing opposition to ethnic politics, explaining that he declined invitations to join the Alliance for Democracy because he considered it essentially a regional party.

Obasanjo defended his decision to invite members of the Alliance for Democracy into his administration after the 1999 elections, describing it as a deliberate effort to promote national unity rather than a response to political weakness.

He disclosed that after assuming office, he immediately appointed defeated South-West PDP governorship candidates into federal positions and began reaching out to influential AD leaders across the region in a bid to build political bridges.

The former President said his administration deliberately pursued reconciliation by engaging politicians across party lines and frequently visiting opposition-controlled states to strengthen national cohesion.

Obasanjo also dismissed Osoba’s claim that he sought the assistance of the six AD governors to survive a political crisis, arguing that such an assertion ignored the fact that he already had the backing of 21 PDP governors, nine NPP governors and the National Assembly.

He argued that the Alliance for Democracy and Afenifere failed to expand beyond regional politics, insisting that Nigeria’s democracy required broader national alliances instead of ethnic political platforms.

Despite the sharp criticisms contained in his letter, Obasanjo praised Osoba for allocating the land on which the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library was built, describing the institution as one of Abeokuta’s most significant landmarks and expressing appreciation for the gesture.

The former President urged Osoba to embrace humility, sustain relationships beyond partisan politics and appreciate the value of dialogue, tolerance and national unity, insisting that political competition should never destroy personal friendships or the collective interest of the country.

By Ayodele Oni

Accuses Osoba of being either stark Ignorant, or complicit, or both

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how his former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, gave a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Umar Ghali N’abba, during their administration, the sum of N5 million to impeach him from office.

In an explosive letter he wrote to a former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba in response to some allegations against him contained in  Osoba’s autobiography, Obasanjo revealed that from day one of Atiku’s Vice Presidency, the now Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, was focused on impeaching him and taking over as President.

At a point, Obasanjo disclosed, the Action for Democracy, AD, Governors of the six South-West States, fell for Atiku’s plans. Pointedly, he accused Osoba of either being Ignorant of the plan or complicit.

Obasanjo lamented Atiku’s betrayal and wondered how a man, he said, he picked up from governorship seat to Vice Presidential seat could pay him back by planning his impeachment.

In the letter dated July 23, 2026, Obasanjo told Osoba:  “And that takes me to Na’Abba’s impeachment you glowingly talked about.  And the way you wrote about it, talking about remorse would suggest stark ignorance on your part or being an accomplice.

“And both were possible.  Na’Abba’s impeachment began at the presidency by the Vice-President, who on a Friday when I was out of the office, invited Na’Abba to his office and convinced him as he had convinced himself and some others, but of insignificant number, that I should have only one term as President and this was the act of a man I brought up from Governorship to Vice-President.

“From the first day as Vice-President, he raised campaigners for his Presidency.  On the Friday, he invited Na’Abba, he gave him 5 million Naira to begin his impeachment work.  It was all noted, recorded and reported to me by my Chief of Staff, a professional intelligence officer.

“The game continued to be played on with me treating it with contempt as I have committed no impeachable offence except my Vice-President who wanted to take over by hook or by crook.

“It was President (Shehu) Shagari who, on his own volition, asked me about impeachment and I told him that for me, there was absolutely nothing in it.

“He requested for my permission to handle it and, of course, I gave him the go-ahead.  Aremo Olusegun Osoba, please show me what you will be remorseful for if you were in my position.”