NEWS
“I Warned You Not to Trust Your Deputy” — Donald Duke Recalls Babangida’s Warning to Obasanjo Over Vice, Atiku
Former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke has revealed a dramatic account of how former military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, privately warned then-President Olusegun Obasanjo about his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, during the tense political atmosphere surrounding Obasanjo’s bid for a second term in office.
Duke’s account is contained in a new book by Seun Oloketuyi, How to Win Elections in Nigeria, which examines the political intrigues, power struggles and behind-the-scenes manoeuvring that shaped the early years of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
Duke, who governed Cross River State from 1999 to 2007, recounted how an informal gathering involving Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, Obasanjo and Atiku at the Presidential Villa in Abuja suddenly turned into a tense encounter that exposed the deepening mistrust between the president and his deputy.
According to Duke, the relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku had become increasingly strained as the 2003 presidential election approached and Obasanjo prepared to seek a second term.
Atiku, he said, was making political moves that raised questions about his loyalty to Obasanjo’s re-election project, triggering concerns within the PDP and among the president’s political allies.
The tension reportedly became so serious that 10 state governors, including Duke, met with then-PDP National Chairman Solomon Lar to explore possible alternatives for the vice-presidential position.
The development, Duke said, placed considerable pressure on Obasanjo, who was increasingly worried that his own deputy could undermine his re-election efforts.
Duke recalled receiving a late-night telephone call from the president, who complained about what he perceived as betrayal by Atiku.
“I urged him to remain calm and promised to fly to Abuja the next morning,” Duke recalled.
What followed, according to Duke, was an extraordinary meeting at the Presidential Villa.
He said Atiku had arranged for Babangida and Abdulsalami to meet with Obasanjo in an attempt to address the growing political differences and disagreements surrounding the president’s second-term ambition.
During the meeting, Babangida reportedly reminded Obasanjo of agreements reached following his release from prison and argued that securing the support of influential northern political figures for Obasanjo’s second-term bid would not be an easy task.
Obasanjo, according to Duke’s account, asked whether the position presented by the former military ruler was final or whether there remained an opportunity for further negotiations.
Babangida reportedly responded that discussions could still continue. But it was after the meeting appeared to have ended that the encounter took a dramatic turn.
Duke said the men were leaving Obasanjo’s private study when Babangida suddenly claimed that he had forgotten his keys inside the room. He then asked Obasanjo to accompany him back into the study.
Once the two men were alone, Babangida allegedly abandoned the diplomatic language used during the meeting and delivered a direct warning to Obasanjo.
“I warned you not to trust that your deputy,” he told Obasanjo.
According to Duke, Babangida then returned with Obasanjo to the others, looked directly at Atiku and turned back to the president before making another striking statement.
“This one cannot rule Nigeria,” he allegedly said.
The revelation, as narrated by Duke, provides a rare glimpse into the political calculations and personal distrust that characterised the relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku during one of the most consequential periods of Nigeria’s early democratic era.
Duke said the episode also shaped his understanding of the dangers of political betrayal, particularly among allies who occupy positions of enormous influence.
Reflecting on the experience, he said one of the lessons he took away from his years in public office was that, “betrayal is a very crazy thing in politics”.
A Long-Running Political Rift:
The relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku has remained one of the most closely watched political rivalries in Nigeria, dating back to their years as president and vice-president between 1999 and 2007.
Although the pair initially presented a formidable political partnership, their relationship deteriorated significantly during their second term, with both men eventually becoming involved in bitter political and public confrontations.
Over the years, Obasanjo and Atiku have exchanged accusations involving corruption, abuse of office, political disloyalty and betrayal.
Their long-running feud resurfaced with renewed intensity on July 24, when Obasanjo alleged that Atiku gave the late Ghali Umar Na’Abba, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, N5 million to initiate impeachment proceedings against him during his first term as president.
Obasanjo made the allegation while responding to comments by Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State, concerning the political developments that preceded the 2003 general election.
The former president subsequently reiterated his reservations about Atiku during a fireside conversation with activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, in Lagos on August 1.
During the discussion, Obasanjo said he regretted choosing Atiku as his vice-president, further reigniting debate over the bitter political history between the two former allies.
Atiku, who is now the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), rejected the allegations and accused the former president of fabricating claims against him for political reasons.
He argued that Obasanjo’s continued criticism was rooted in the former vice-president’s opposition to Obasanjo’s controversial third-term ambition while they were in government.
Atiku maintained that he had no regrets about his decision to oppose the third-term bid.
The latest revelations from Duke’s account have therefore added another layer to the decades-old political drama, offering an insider’s perspective on the distrust, negotiations and power struggles that surrounded the Obasanjo-Atiku partnership as Nigeria’s new democratic era was taking shape.