Veteran journalist and publisher of Ovation International, Chief Dele Momodu, has revealed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had an agreement in place to succeed former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Speaking during a recent interview, Momodu stated that Atiku was not just another politician vying for power, but had been strategically positioned to take over the presidency after Obasanjo. He claimed there was a concrete understanding within the political hierarchy at the time that Atiku would be Obasanjo’s successor, following his tenure.
Momodu explained that Atiku’s political strength and nationwide network made him a formidable figure, and that his position as Vice President placed him in prime position to assume the presidency after serving alongside Obasanjo. According to him, it was this prior arrangement that emboldened Atiku’s political ambition and informed his long-standing efforts to return to power.
However, the arrangement reportedly collapsed due to the breakdown in relations between Obasanjo and Atiku during their second term in office. The fallout between the two men is widely known to have derailed Atiku’s smooth path to succession and plunged the political terrain into uncertainty at the time.
Dele Momodu’s revelation sheds new light on the deep-seated political alignments and backroom agreements that have shaped Nigeria’s democratic journey. It also revives the conversation around Atiku’s repeated attempts at the presidency, and the history of failed political transitions that have marked the nation’s leadership succession.
Atiku, who has run for the presidency multiple times since leaving office as Vice President in 2007, has continued to insist that his ambition is driven by a desire to deliver progressive change and restore national unity. Momodu’s comments now suggest that Atiku’s quest is not just personal, but also the unfulfilled conclusion of a long-abandoned political pact.
