The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has claimed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s victory in the 1999 presidential election was largely secured by votes from northern Nigeria.
According to Tribune, Atiku made the assertion while speaking with journalists on Wednesday as the long-running disagreement between him and his former boss over their time in office resurfaced.
The former vice president said Obasanjo lacked sufficient electoral support in his home state and the South-West to win the election without substantial backing from the North.
“In 1999, he could not even win his own state or the South-West; it was Arewa that made him President. He possesses no electoral value,” Atiku said.
His comments came in response to Obasanjo’s recent criticism of their political partnership. The former president had described picking Atiku as his running mate in 1999 as the “biggest mistake” of his presidency.
