Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has described the long-running political rivalry between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as a feud that may only end with the death of one of the two political heavyweights.
Sani made the remark in a post on his X handle while reacting to the latest exchange of words between the former allies, whose relationship has remained troubled for more than two decades.
According to the former lawmaker, the disagreement has lasted long enough to span an entire generation, beginning when many members of Generation Z were children and continuing into their adulthood.
“The Obj/Atiku feud began when Gen Zs were in nursery and primary school. It’s continuing even when that generation has graduated from universities, married and had children,” Sani wrote.
He added that there was little indication that the rivalry would end anytime soon.
“It’s likely going to continue until one of them is gone, and the other will pay a glowing tribute. Since Atiku threw a devastating bomb at Obj, he has been receiving Obj’s hypersonic missiles for two decades,” he stated.
Sani’s comments came amid another round of public exchanges between Obasanjo and Atiku, reviving one of Nigeria’s longest and most influential political rivalries.
The latest dispute was triggered after Obasanjo reportedly described his decision to pick Atiku as his running mate ahead of the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake of his presidency.
The remark drew a swift response from Atiku’s camp, which rejected the claim and accused the former president of attempting to rewrite history.
The latest exchange is another chapter in a political relationship that has shaped Nigeria’s democratic journey since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999.
Obasanjo and Atiku were once regarded as one of the country’s strongest political partnerships.
Their alliance began in 1999 after Obasanjo emerged as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while still in detention over allegations linked to an alleged coup plot during the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha.
Following consultations within the party, Obasanjo selected Atiku, then a former Customs officer and governor-elect of Adamawa State, as his running mate.
The pair went on to win the 1999 presidential election, ending years of military rule and ushering in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
They were sworn into office on May 29, 1999, with Obasanjo as President and Atiku as Vice President.
During the early years of the administration, Atiku was widely seen as one of the most influential vice presidents in Nigeria’s history.
He chaired the National Council on Privatisation and played a leading role in implementing the administration’s economic reform programme.
The government embarked on the privatisation of several state-owned enterprises, liberalised major sectors of the economy and introduced policies aimed at attracting private investment.
For much of their first four years in office, both leaders appeared united despite occasional reports of disagreements over appointments and policy decisions.
The relationship, however, began to deteriorate after they secured re-election in 2003.
The disagreement reached its peak when supporters of Obasanjo promoted a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the President to seek a controversial third term beyond the two-term limit provided by the Constitution.
Atiku openly distanced himself from the proposal, a move widely interpreted as opposition to his principal’s political ambition.
The third-term bid eventually failed in 2006 after strong opposition from members of the National Assembly, civil society organisations and several political leaders.
Its collapse marked a turning point in the relationship between the two leaders.
Obasanjo accused Atiku of disloyalty, corruption and working against his administration.
Atiku, on the other hand, maintained that he was being targeted because of his refusal to support the third-term agenda.
The disagreement soon escalated into a legal battle after the Presidency attempted to strip Atiku of many of his official responsibilities and sought to declare his office vacant following his defection from the PDP to the Action Congress ahead of the 2007 presidential election.
In March 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that the President had no constitutional power to remove an elected Vice President, allowing Atiku to complete his tenure, which ended on May 29, 2007.
Since leaving office, Obasanjo and Atiku have repeatedly criticised each other over issues ranging from corruption allegations and abuse of power to the events that shaped their years in government.
Obasanjo has consistently questioned Atiku’s suitability for Nigeria’s highest office, while Atiku has accused his former boss of authoritarian leadership and attempting to distort historical events.
Despite their public disagreements, there were moments when it appeared that both men had put their differences behind them.
Ahead of the 2019 presidential election, Obasanjo publicly endorsed Atiku after falling out with then-President Muhammadu Buhari.
The endorsement raised hopes that the former allies had reconciled after years of political hostility.
However, the reconciliation proved short-lived.
Following the election, relations between the two men deteriorated again, with Obasanjo resuming criticism of Atiku’s presidential ambition.
Atiku also continued to challenge Obasanjo’s public statements and interpretation of events that occurred during their administration.
The latest disagreement began after Obasanjo allegedly accused Atiku of bribing the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to support moves to impeach him while he was President.
Atiku denied the allegation, accusing Obasanjo of attempting to weaken him politically ahead of another election cycle and create what he described as a soft landing for a preferred candidate.
Obasanjo responded by saying choosing Atiku as his running mate in 1999 was the greatest mistake of his presidency.
Atiku’s camp quickly rejected the remark, insisting that the former president was trying to rewrite history and revive old political disputes.
Over the years, it has influenced political alliances, party realignments and presidential contests.
Both men have remained major figures in national politics long after leaving office, with their disagreements often attracting widespread public attention.
Shehu Sani’s comments have also generated reactions on social media, with many Nigerians agreeing that the rivalry has endured longer than most political disputes in the country.