Former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, has revealed how former military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida allegedly warned former President Olusegun Obasanjo against trusting his then deputy, Atiku Abubakar.
Duke, who served as Cross River governor from 1999 to 2007, made the revelation in a new book by Seun Oloketuyi titled How to Win Elections in Nigeria, which examines political developments and intrigues during the early years of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
According to Duke, an informal meeting involving Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, Obasanjo and Atiku at the Presidential Villa became tense as disagreements between Obasanjo and Atiku intensified ahead of the 2003 presidential election.
Duke said Atiku had been making moves that raised concerns about his commitment to Obasanjo’s re-election, while the growing disagreement became a major political issue within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He recalled that 10 governors, including himself, had met with then-PDP National Chairman Solomon Lar to discuss possible alternatives for the vice-presidential position.
Duke said the situation deeply concerned Obasanjo, who later called him late at night to complain about what he regarded as betrayal by Atiku.
“I urged him to remain calm and promised to fly to Abuja the next morning,” Duke recalled.
IBB’s Alleged Warning
According to Duke, Atiku had arranged for Babangida and Abdulsalami to meet with Obasanjo at the Presidential Villa.
During the meeting, Babangida reportedly reminded Obasanjo of agreements reached following his release from prison and argued that securing the support of northern political leaders for his second-term bid would be difficult.
Obasanjo reportedly asked whether that represented their final position or whether there was still room for negotiation. Babangida said further discussions were possible.
However, Duke said the most significant exchange happened after the meeting appeared to have ended.
As the men were leaving Obasanjo’s private study, Babangida reportedly said he had forgotten his keys and asked Obasanjo to walk back with him.
According to Duke, once the two men were alone, Babangida allegedly abandoned his diplomatic tone and reminded Obasanjo of his earlier concerns about Atiku.
“I warned you not to trust that your deputy,” Babangida allegedly told Obasanjo.
Duke said that when they returned to the others, Babangida looked at Atiku before turning to Obasanjo and allegedly said:
“This one cannot rule Nigeria.”
Duke said the incident illustrated the depth of distrust between Obasanjo and Atiku and demonstrated how seriously their political differences were being discussed privately.
He also said the episode reinforced one of the lessons he learnt from his time in office:
“Betrayal is a very crazy thing in politics.”
Obasanjo and Atiku’s Long-Running Rift
Obasanjo and Atiku have maintained a strained political relationship since serving together as President and Vice-President.
Their disagreements have included repeated accusations involving corruption, abuse of office and political betrayal.
The dispute recently resurfaced after Obasanjo alleged that Atiku gave the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, ₦5 million to initiate impeachment proceedings against him during his first term.
Obasanjo made the allegation on July 24 while responding to comments by former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba about political developments surrounding the 2003 election.
On August 1, during a fireside chat with activist Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, in Lagos, Obasanjo reiterated his reservations about Atiku and said he regretted choosing him as his running mate.
Atiku, now the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, accused Obasanjo of fabricating allegations against him to favour his kinsman ahead of the 2027 election.
He argued that Obasanjo’s continued criticism was rooted in bitterness over his opposition to the former president’s controversial third-term bid, insisting that he had no regrets about his actions.
Source: How to Win Elections in Nigeria by Seun Oloketuyi
