I Learnt A Lot From Obasanjo As Vice President — Atiku

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said that his time serving under former President Olusegun Obasanjo provided him with invaluable leadership experience he believed could not have been gained even if he had previously emerged President.

Atiku made the remarks on Wednesday evening during an appearance on ARISE News’ Prime Time Special, while responding to questions about mentoring younger generations for public office.

According to him, practical governance experience remains critical for effective leadership development.

“Sometimes you need to be in power because what I have been able to learn during Obasanjo, as vice president, I wouldn’t have been able to learn from outside,” he said.

The 2027 presidential hopeful emphasised that his exposure to Obasanjo’s leadership style, shaped by the latter’s military and civilian rule, was particularly impactful.

“Believe me, I don’t think I could have learnt, if I were a president, what I learnt being a vice president to Obasanjo because he came with tremendous experience, as a military head of state and then a civilian president. There was a lot I learnt,” Atiku stated.

He also weighed in on leadership challenges among younger political office holders, suggesting that experience remains a key ingredient for effective governance.

“Look at the political expedience, it’s been a mixed one. We have young governors who have failed when it comes to governance. I believe those types of people still require tutelage, still require to learn from experience,” he added.

Atiku further described himself as a bridge between old and new generations in Nigeria’s political landscape.

“I represent both the past and the future, simply because we have experienced various leadership, both from young and old,” he stated.