Fresh Twist In Obasanjo-Atiku Feud As Paul Ibe Makes Bold Declaration

Paul Ibe, media adviser to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s recent criticism of his principal, describing the former Nigerian leader as “hypocritical.

Ibe was reacting to Obasanjo’s statement that choosing Atiku as his vice president in 1999 was one of the biggest regrets of his political career.

Speaking in an interview with Punch, Ibe said Atiku would not personally respond to Obasanjo’s remarks, insisting that the former vice president would remain focused on his political agenda.

According to him, Obasanjo’s comments were part of what he described as a campaign of vindictive politics aimed at undermining Atiku’s prospects ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

He, however, argued that the outcome of the election would ultimately be decided by Nigerians rather than the opinion of any former president.

“How will it affect his chances? The election will be determined by Nigerians,” Ibe said.

He added that Atiku had deliberately refrained from responding directly to Obasanjo despite the repeated criticisms.

“Throughout all these comments, you will notice that Atiku himself has not responded directly to Obasanjo, and he will not. Obasanjo is trying to muddy the waters through vindictive politics, but Nigerians—not Obasanjo—will decide Atiku’s fate.”

Ibe further claimed that many Nigerians had formed their own opinions about the former president, insisting that his remarks would have little impact on the 2027 race.

“He is a former president, but he has only one vote like every other Nigerian. What he has said will not determine the outcome of the election,” he stated.

Responding to suggestions that Obasanjo’s criticism may be intended to favour another presidential candidate, Ibe said the former president was free to support anyone of his choice but urged him to conduct himself with greater fairness.

“He has every right to support any candidate he believes in, but he should do so in a dignified manner. Someone worked closely with you and, in our view, served diligently. Differences in opinion should not become a reason to continue attacking that person two decades later,” he said.

Despite the renewed public disagreement, Ibe maintained that Atiku harbours no regrets about serving under Obasanjo as vice president between 1999 and 2007.

He questioned when Obasanjo supposedly concluded that Atiku was unfit, suggesting that their fallout may have been linked to political disagreements during their time in office.

According to Ibe, Nigerians would ultimately determine the country’s next president, arguing that many voters had already concluded that they wanted a change from the current administration under President Bola Tinubu.