Former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido has excoriated ex President Olusegun Obasanjo over the latter’s constant vilification of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Obasanjo and Abubakar were elected as president and vice president respectively on the platform of the PDP upon the return of Nigeria to democracy in 1999.
However, both did not enjoy the type of cordial relationship that is expected between the number one and two citizens of the country.
The better part of their tenure was blighted by deep-seated mutual animosity that lingers to date.
Obasanjo has been vocal and relentless in highlighting the accesses and shortcomings of Atiku since they both left some fifteen years ago.
Weighing in on the situation, Lamido said Obasanjo was wrong to publicly criticise his former deputy.
“Obasanjo is a senior man, somebody who is elderly. He has the right to talk down on his own children but that should be an in-house accusation. He can say Atiku you are this or that but when he says it publicly to the country he led, it is wrong,” said Mr Lamido in an interview with Vanguard newspaper.
He said Abubakar was a major contributor to the platform upon which Mr Obasanjo ran for office in 1999.
Lamido was reacting to a statement by Obasanjo a few weeks ago wherein the former Nigerian leader said making Atiku his deputy was a grave mistake but God saved him.
“I don’t want to sound rude but when PDP was formed, Obasanjo was in prison and the formation of the PDP had history,” Lamido, a longstanding politician said. “We had a group led by Atiku and many others and also the progressives as symbolised by Solomon Lar, Abubakar Rimi, Jim Nwobodo and many others. It is right to say that when PDP was formed, Obasanjo was not politically known.”
Obasanjo and Abubakar fell out after the latter, looking to succeed his principal, truncated his unconstitutional third term bid.
Though attempts have been made to mend their relationship over the years, the portrayal of Abubakar as a deeply corrupt politician by Mr Obasanjo continues to be a sore point in their relationship.