Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has described his decision to choose former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as the greatest mistake of his political career.

Obasanjo made the startling revelation on Friday, July 31, during a fireside chat with veteran entertainer and activist Charly Boy in Lagos. The event featured the unveiling of the Charly Boy Foundation and the launch of his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.

Reflecting on his eight years in office, Obasanjo said that, with the benefit of hindsight, he would never have selected Atiku as his vice president.

“I would say the greatest mistake I made was picking Atiku Abubakar as my vice president in 1999,” the former president said.

Despite their well-publicised political fallout, Obasanjo insisted he bears no resentment towards his former deputy, noting that the disagreements between them did not stop his administration from delivering on its mandate.

“There is no bitterness in me over what happened. Despite everything, I was able to achieve what I set out to achieve while in power,” he added.

Obasanjo also addressed persistent claims about his ancestry, affirming that both his parents hailed from Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

“I still know our family house there,” he said.

The event attracted several prominent personalities, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, business mogul Leo Stan Ekeh, book reviewer Dr Austin Tam-George, veteran broadcaster Bisi Olatilo, and other distinguished guests.

During the occasion, Leo Stan Ekeh announced a donation of ₦20 million each on behalf of Obasanjo and Chief Anyaoku in support of the newly unveiled Charly Boy Foundation.

Obasanjo and Atiku were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 and served as President and Vice President for two consecutive terms until 2007. However, their once-strong political alliance later collapsed during their second term amid intense disagreements over governance and succession, culminating in one of Nigeria's most notable political fallouts.