The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) South-East, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, has described former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s position on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition as a “life sentence” on the matter of political endorsement.
Recalling the statement, Arodiogbu pointed to Obasanjo’s unequivocal words in August 2018, when the former president told Premium Times in an exclusive interview:
“If I support Atiku for anything, God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know, Atiku can never enjoy my support.”
In his memoir “My Watch”, Obasanjo painted a deeply unflattering portrait of his former deputy, describing him in harsh terms.
According to Arodiogbu, Obasanjo’s assessment was not made lightly. Coming from a man who worked closely with Atiku for eight years as President and Vice President, the comment carries the force of firsthand knowledge and experience.
He insisted that such a categorical repudiation from a former head of state who once shared power with Atiku cannot be dismissed as mere political disagreement.
Dr. Arodiogbu maintained that the 2018 pronouncement carries the force of a permanent judgment as President Obasanjo’s words were not a fleeting political outburst but a solemn, almost spiritual, condemnation that remains binding.
He said the weight of that verdict from Atiku’s former principal remains significant and continues to cast a long shadow over any attempt by the former Vice President to reposition himself as a credible alternative for national leadership.
He stated that Obasanjo’s verdict against Atiku which is framed in moral and spiritual terms, effectively undermines any narrative that seeks to present the former Vice President as the solution to the nation’s problems.
He urged those still promoting Atiku’s candidacy to carefully consider the implications of Obasanjo’s position and apologise to Nigerians, make restitution of stolen wealth and corrupt practices which the former Vice President is deeply involved, as the statement remains one of the most damaging public judgments ever delivered against an aspirant in contemporary Nigerian politics
Dr. Arodiogbu reaffirmed the APC’s confidence that the Nigerian people will continue to choose continuity, reform, and competent leadership over Atiku’s recycled ambitions that have repeatedly failed to command broad national confidence.
