Obasanjo Fires Back at Osoba, Says 2003 Defeat Was Genuine

"Your defeat in 2003 was genuine in all six South-West states except one where figures were altered," he said, adding that reports available to him indicated some AD candidates ran weak campaigns.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has rejected claims by former Ogun State governor Olusegun Osoba that he deceived leaders of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) ahead of the 2003 general election, insisting the party's electoral defeat was genuine and that he had no role in any alleged political arrangement involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

In a letter dated Thursday and titled Reply to Your Inaccurate Posture: How Obasanjo Deceived Us in 2003, Obasanjo described Osoba's account of the events leading to the election as inaccurate and far-fetched.

He denied ever misleading AD governors or Afenifere leaders, arguing that many of the political discussions at the time were handled by senior figures within the Yoruba socio-political group without Osoba's knowledge.

"I deceived nobody. I always presented my position as I understood it," Obasanjo said, adding that while political actors were free to make their choices, he would not describe anyone as deceitful for pursuing a different strategy.

The former president recounted how various political groups approached him after his release from prison to contest the presidency, leading him to consult widely across the country before joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Addressing the controversy over the 2003 election, Obasanjo alleged that Atiku had begun pursuing his presidential ambition from the first day of their administration and later sought alliances with political actors to advance that goal.

He claimed Atiku proposed a political arrangement under which the six AD governors in the South-West would face no electoral opposition in 2003 in exchange for supporting his presidential bid in 2007.

Obasanjo, however, distanced himself from the alleged deal.

"You were convinced of this anti-democratic plan and fell for it. If anyone said I was promoting the idea, that was a lie," he said.

He accused Osoba and other AD leaders of engaging with his vice-president rather than seeking clarification directly from him.

Obasanjo also maintained that the AD's loss in the 2003 governorship elections reflected the electorate's choice.

"Your defeat in 2003 was genuine in all six South-West states except one where figures were altered," he said, adding that reports available to him indicated some AD candidates ran weak campaigns.

The former president also criticised Afenifere's ethnic-based politics, saying he had never subscribed to tribal political ideology.

According to him, politics should be driven by ideas, policies and public welfare rather than bitterness or ethnic considerations.

He urged Osoba to reflect on his political career, stressing that disagreements in politics should not destroy personal relationships or overshadow the need for humility and gratitude.