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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo played a key role in selecting Peter Obi as his running mate for the 2019 presidential election.
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the time, disclosed that Obasanjo initially suggested three prominent figures—Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Charles Soludo, and Peter Obi—as possible choices.
Atiku shared this revelation in an interview published by Daily Trust on Wednesday, March 26.
According to him, after winning the PDP ticket in Port Harcourt, he immediately visited Obasanjo in Abeokuta to discuss his choice of a running mate.
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"So he asked me, ‘From where is your running mate going to come from?’ I said, of course, it’s either South-East or South-West," Atiku recalled.
"He said, ‘No, leave South-West because I was there for eight years. Go to the South-East.’"
Obasanjo then suggested Okonjo-Iweala, the former Minister of Finance, but Atiku noted that she was not a member of the PDP, making her selection difficult.
The same concern applied to Soludo, who was also not affiliated with the party.
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However, when Peter Obi’s name was mentioned, Atiku confirmed he was a PDP member, and that settled the matter.
Returning to Abuja, Atiku presented the choice to key party leaders, including then-PDP Chairman Uche Secondus, Governor Nyesom Wike, and others.
"I remember there were about seven of them. I told them what my boss said and asked if they had any objections. They assured me they didn’t," Atiku said.
Despite this, his decision to select Obi later faced criticism, with some accusing him of not consulting widely enough.
Reflecting on that experience, Atiku said he changed his approach in 2023 by allowing the party to form a committee to recommend three potential running mates for him to choose from.
His revelations shed light on the behind-the-scenes decision-making that shaped Nigeria’s recent political history.