…Insists AD Govs mLMisunderstood Behind-The-Scenes Political Negotiations
…Says Alliance With Opposition Was Driven By National Unity, Not Weakness
Daud Olatunji
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a blistering response to former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba, rejecting allegations that he deceived leaders of the Alliance for Democracy during the political events leading to the 2003 general elections.
In a lengthy letter dated July 23, 2026, and titled “Reply to Your Inaccurate Posture: ‘How Obasanjo Deceived Us in 2003’,” the former President described Osoba’s account as inaccurate, misleading and based on incomplete knowledge of the political realities of the period.
Obasanjo was responding to an article reportedly written by Osoba and published in The Legal Observer on July 20, in which the former governor accused him of deceiving Yoruba leaders and the six AD governors before the 2003 elections.
Rejecting the allegation, Obasanjo declared, “I take strong and serious objection to your calling me a deceit 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.”
The former President argued that several crucial political developments were unknown to Osoba because, according to him, they were handled by senior Afenifere leaders rather than the Southwest governors.
“There were issues you did not know or understand because, as you pointed out, they were above your head,” Obasanjo wrote.
Obasanjo traced the events preceding his emergence as President, revealing that after his release from prison, several groups separately urged him to return to politics.
According to him, delegations led by Lawan Katsina, the late Chief S.M. Afolabi and Martins Kuye visited him at his Ota farm to persuade him to contest for the presidency.
He said he subsequently consulted prominent political figures across the South-West, North and South-East before deciding to join the Peoples Democratic Party.
Among those he said he consulted were Chiefs Richard Akinjide and Meredith Adisa Akinloye, the late Chief Bola Ige, Prof. Oyeleye Oyediran, Sunday Awoniyi, Adamu Ciroma, Prof. Anezi Okoro and Arthur Mbanefo.
Obasanjo disclosed that during one of his meetings with the late Afenifere leader, Chief Abraham Adesanya, he was urged to abandon the PDP and join the Alliance for Democracy.
However, he said he rejected the suggestion.
He stated, “He asked me to join AD and I told him that AD, as essentially a tribal party, was in a cul de sac.”
Despite political disagreements, Obasanjo said he maintained cordial relations with Adesanya.
“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 added.
Obasanjo dismissed claims that he sought an alliance with the AD because he was politically weak after winning the presidency in 1999.
He insisted that bringing opposition politicians into government was aimed at promoting national unity.
