Atiku Betrayed Obasanjo, Destroyed PDP And Divided ADC – Fani-Kayode

Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has recounted his alleged confrontations with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, claiming he twice demanded Atiku’s removal from Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings over what he described as betrayal of the former president.

Fani-Kayode, who served as Minister of Aviation under Obasanjo, made the claims in an article titled “The Seventh Bid of Waziri,” where he reflected on his experiences with Atiku during their time in government.

According to Fani-Kayode, tensions between Atiku and Obasanjo became so serious that he openly challenged the former vice president during full Cabinet meetings in the presence of other ministers.

He claimed that during the first confrontation, he demanded that Atiku be removed from the Cabinet meeting, but Obasanjo intervened and appealed to him and other ministers to allow the former vice president to remain.

Fani-Kayode said the situation was repeated several weeks later when he again called for Atiku to leave the meeting, warning that other ministers would walk out if he refused.

He alleged that Obasanjo intervened for a second time but, on that occasion, directed Atiku to apologise to the entire Cabinet over his conduct.

According to Fani-Kayode, Atiku apologised and was permitted to remain at the meeting, but subsequently stopped attending FEC meetings.

Fani-Kayode argued that the episode demonstrated what he described as Atiku’s strong presidential ambition while serving as vice president. He alleged that Atiku wanted to succeed Obasanjo and viewed the presidency as his ultimate political objective.

He further accused Atiku of later falling out with several political allies and contributing to divisions within political parties in his continued pursuit of the presidency.

According to Fani-Kayode, Atiku’s political activities eventually contributed to divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while he also alleged that the former vice president’s involvement in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had resulted in further internal disagreements.

Fani-Kayode also criticised Atiku over his political position on power rotation, alleging that the former vice president had consistently opposed calls for power to shift to the South since leaving office in 2007.

He referenced Atiku’s political contests and alliances over the years, including his challenge to former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, his involvement in the political coalition that defeated Jonathan in 2015, his emergence as the PDP presidential candidate in 2022 and his 2023 presidential contest against Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi.

Fani-Kayode noted that Atiku is again seeking the presidency ahead of the 2027 election, arguing that his long-running political ambitions have continued to shape his relationships and alliances within Nigeria’s opposition politics.

He also accused Atiku of showing what he described as contempt for the South, maintaining that the former vice president had continued to oppose power rotation despite arguments in favour of regional balance and political equity.

The claims are part of Fani-Kayode’s account of his political experiences with Atiku and his interpretation of events during the Obasanjo administration.