Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has launched a blistering response to former President Olusegun Obasanjo over renewed remarks linked to the controversial third-term debate, declaring that he personally supported the former military leader during his years in prison.
Atiku, who served as Obasanjo’s deputy between 1999 and 2007, said he stood firmly by the former president during one of the most difficult periods of his life, providing financial and personal support while he was incarcerated under the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha.
“I fed you. I clothed you. I stood by you when you were in prison,” Atiku said, insisting that his loyalty to Obasanjo during that period should not be forgotten.
The exchange follows fresh comments by Obasanjo on the failed bid to amend Nigeria’s Constitution for a third presidential term—an issue that has remained one of the most contentious chapters in the country’s democratic history.
Relations between the two political heavyweights have been strained for nearly two decades, largely over disagreements surrounding the alleged third-term agenda during Obasanjo’s administration. Atiku has consistently maintained that he opposed any attempt to extend the constitutional two-term limit for presidents.
The latest remarks underscore the deep-seated political rivalry between the two statesmen, whose once-close alliance has since evolved into one of Nigeria’s most enduring political feuds.
The renewed war of words is expected to reignite public debate over the events that shaped the country’s democratic transition and the lingering fallout from the controversial third-term saga.
