Obasanjo responds to Osoba’s claims of deceit, defends his 2003 decisions

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has rejected claims from former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba that he deceived the Alliance for Democracy (AD) leaders during the 2003 political shifts.

In a letter addressed to Osoba on Thursday, Obasanjo called Osoba’s article, "How Obasanjo Deceived Us in 2003," inaccurate. He insisted that he never deceived anyone in his political life.

Obasanjo stated that many events around his rise as president and his political activities were either unknown to Osoba or left out from his article.

He explained that his return to politics came after many leaders across Nigeria appealed to him following his release from prison.

Obasanjo claimed he consulted key leaders from the South-west, North, and South-east before joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and running for president.

He said he has always aimed to promote dialogue, friendship, and national unity, instead of bitterness, tribal politics, or political exclusion.

Obasanjo emphasized that his decision to create a broad-based government after the 1999 election was based on national interest, not political weakness.

The AD was backed by a powerful Yoruba socio-cultural group and was dominant in South-west politics when Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999. The party won all six governorship seats in Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Lagos, and Oyo during the elections that marked the end of military rule.

But in just four years, the party lost its grip on power in the region, giving up five of the six states to the PDP in the 2003 governorship elections. Osoba, who was seeking a second term, lost in Ogun. Other AD governors who lost included the late Adebayo Adefarati of Ondo, the late Lam Adesina of Oyo, Bisi Akande of Osun, and Adeniyi Adebayo of Ekiti. Only Bola Tinubu, who would later become president, won his second term as Lagos governor.

Stories suggest that the AD’s loss was due to a broken agreement with Obasanjo before the 2003 elections. The supposed deal stated that the AD governors would support Obasanjo’s re-election, and in return, he would help them secure second terms on the AD ticket.

Reports say Tinubu opted out of this agreement and campaigned against Obasanjo and the PDP. He urged supporters to vote for the AD in all elections in Lagos.

The five AD governors are said to have honored the agreement, while Obasanjo did not. They lost their positions, allowing the PDP to gain control. Only Tinubu, who was not part of the deal, won his second term.

Obasanjo refuted claims that he needed the backing of six AD governors to face political challenges. He said such beliefs were unrealistic given the PDP's size.

He denied accusations that he accepted political terms from Afenifere leaders before taking office, insisting no group controlled his government policies.

Obasanjo defended the results of the 2003 elections, saying the losses by most AD governors were due to political realities and campaign weaknesses, not manipulation.

He criticized Afenifere for narrow ethnic politics, arguing that effective national leadership requires wider political inclusion beyond regional interests.

"I feel for some Afenifere leaders who sadly expressed their regrets to me before they passed, Chief Gani Daudu, Chief Abraham Adesanya, and Chief Ayo Adebanjo.

"I was close to some of them. What they valued, taught, believed, and practiced were not what their followers accepted or practiced.

"You got many things wrong and left out several facts in your write-up published in The Legal Observer on July 20, 2026.

"Your article was far-fetched to say the least.

"I must strongly object to your claim that I deceived anyone because I have deceived nobody.

"I always presented my case and all issues as I saw them, no matter who it affected," he stated.

Despite their differences, Obasanjo acknowledged Osoba’s contributions to Ogun State, especially for allocating land for the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.

He urged political leaders to embrace humility, dialogue, and lasting relationships, stressing that politics should not ruin friendships or commitment to national progress.