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

Obasanjo made the remark on Saturday during a fireside chat with veteran entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the unveiling of the Charly Boy Foundation and the launch of his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, in Lagos.

The former president, who served alongside Atiku from 1999 to 2007 after both were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said hindsight had convinced him that he made the wrong choice.

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

Despite their well-publicised fallout while in office, Obasanjo said he harboured no bitterness over the collapse of their relationship, insisting that the disagreement did not derail his administration’s achievements.

He noted that although their partnership eventually broke down, his government remained focused on delivering its mandate and recording significant accomplishments during its eight years in office.