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 conflict that may endure until one of the two political heavyweights passes away.
Sani remarked in a post on X while reacting to the latest exchange between the former allies, whose relationship has remained strained for more than two decades.
According to him, the feud has lasted long enough to span an entire generation, beginning when many of today’s young adults were in nursery and primary school and continuing into 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 the prolonged political hostility was unlikely to end any time 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 followed a fresh round of verbal exchanges between Obasanjo and Atiku, reviving one of Nigeria’s longest-running political rivalries.
The latest disagreement was reportedly triggered after Obasanjo described his decision to choose Atiku as his running mate ahead of the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake of his Presidency.
The renewed war of words between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his former deputy, Atiku Abubakar, marks the latest chapter in one of Nigeria’s longest-running and most consequential political feuds.
Their rivalry has shaped the country’s political landscape for more than two decades.
The relationship began on a cordial note ahead of the 1999 general election that ushered in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
After emerging as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate while imprisoned over an alleged coup plot during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha, Obasanjo selected Atiku, then a former Customs officer and governor-elect of Adamawa State, as his running mate following consultations within the party.
The pair went on to win the election and assumed office on 29 May 1999, with Obasanjo serving as President and Atiku as Vice President.
During the early years of the administration, Atiku was widely regarded as one of the most influential vice presidents in Nigeria’s history.
He chaired the National Council on Privatisation and played a pivotal role in implementing the administration’s economic reform agenda, including the privatisation of several government-owned enterprises, the liberalisation of key sectors and efforts to attract private investment.
For much of their first term in office, the partnership appeared stable, with both leaders presenting a united front despite occasional reports of disagreements over policy and political appointments.
