Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has revealed what he described as the reason behind the former vice president’s longstanding disagreement with former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Okonkwo said Atiku personally told him that he rejected an alleged attempt by Obasanjo to secure a third term in office between 2005 and 2007.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Okonkwo claimed that Obasanjo sent representatives to seek Atiku’s support for the proposed constitutional amendment that would have enabled him to remain in office beyond two terms.
According to Okonkwo, Atiku refused to endorse the proposal and instead promised to oppose it.
He quoted Atiku as telling the emissaries: “Tell him that not only that I will not support it, I will fight it.”
Okonkwo further alleged that Obasanjo warned Atiku that his opposition would have political consequences, claiming the former president subsequently decided he would not support Atiku’s presidential ambition.
“Obasanjo responded that, ‘hope you know the consequence that I will not hand over power to you?’ Atiku told me this,” Okonkwo said.
The revelation is significant as the relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku has remained an important chapter in Nigeria’s political history. The two men served together from 1999 to 2007, but their relationship deteriorated during Obasanjo’s second term.
The third-term controversy became a major political issue in the final years of Obasanjo’s administration. Efforts to amend the Constitution to extend presidential tenure were ultimately unsuccessful, with the proposal failing to secure the required support in the National Assembly.
Okonkwo’s latest comments come as Atiku prepares for another presidential contest in 2027 under the ADC platform. His campaign team has increasingly highlighted his political history and experience as part of its case for his candidacy.
However, Okonkwo’s account of the private conversation with Atiku remains his narration of events and was not independently verified by the sources reviewed.
Obasanjo served as president from 1999 to 2007, while Atiku was his vice president throughout the eight-year administration.
