Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed claims by former Ogun State Governor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, that he deceived leaders of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) during the political realignments that preceded the 2003 general elections.
In a letter dated July 23, 2026, titled “Reply to your inaccurate posture: ‘How Obasanjo deceived us in 2003’,” Obasanjo described Osoba’s version of events, published in The Legal Observer on July 20, as “farfetched” and marked by inaccuracies, omissions and misconceptions.
He rejected the allegation that he misled Yoruba political leaders, insisting his political dealings had always been open and driven by national interest.
“I take strong and serious objection to your calling me a deceiver because I deceived nobody. I always presented my case and all issues as I had them and as I understood them, no matter whose ox is gored,” he said.
Obasanjo argued that certain political developments before his emergence as President in 1999 were outside Osoba’s knowledge, as they were handled directly by senior Afenifere and AD leaders.
He recalled his relationship with the late Afenifere leader, Chief Abraham Adesanya, noting that despite repeated warnings that Yoruba voters would not back him, he maintained a cordial relationship with the elder statesman.
“There was no time I called on Papa Adesanya that I was not well entertained. Yet Papa stood on no vote for me, and I stood on my respect and what was due to him,” he said, adding that bringing the PDP and AD together for a national government reflected strength, not weakness.
Obasanjo also disputed Osoba’s account of the attempted impeachment of former House of Representatives Speaker, Ghali Na’Abba, claiming the plot originated from within his own administration.
“The game continued to be played on with me treating it with contempt as I had committed no impeachable offence,” he said.
On the 2003 elections, Obasanjo rejected suggestions that AD governors lost due to manipulation by the Presidency, saying the defeats were genuine except in one state where results were altered.
“Your loss or defeat in 2003 was genuine in all the six states except the one where the figures were successfully and murderously changed. I have never believed in tribal politics,” he said.
Despite the disagreements, Obasanjo acknowledged Osoba’s contributions to Ogun State, particularly his role in allocating land for the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, calling it the most significant landmark in the state.
“The greatest service you rendered for me is the land allocated by you for the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library. It has become the most significant landmark in Abeokuta. Politics may end, relationships may live till life’s end, there is no end to humility and thanksgiving,” he said.
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