Kassim Afegbua
When the Peoples’ Democratic Party–PDP– was formed, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was one of those who wanted to assume the leadership position of the country. Unknown to him, the power apparatchik of the new party had a different game plan. This was as far back as 1998. The military, under the then outgoing President, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, needed a man who would put paid to the clamour for the actualisation of the June 12 election; knowing full well that the architect of that struggle had just passed. Atiku, a retired customs officer, decided to dabble into the delicate political waters of the military: he used members of his Peoples’ Democratic Movement-PDM- to rally support. On seeing the complexities within the new movements for presidency, he settled for the Governorship of Adamawa State. All the three dominant parties at that time, fielded candidates from the South. The Alliance for Democracy went into alliance with the All People’s Party-APP- fielding Chief Olu Falae as her Presidential candidate while the PDP fielded the newly out-of-prison, General Olusegun Obasanjo. I was foundation member of the PDP, and worked in the Party’s headquarters. I witnessed a lot of political intrigues that snowballed into the scramble for the soul of the party. Trust the military heavy weights; their politics is much deeper than what one can put in English words.
General Obasanjo emerged as the presidential candidate at the Jos Convention of the party. The military heavy weights wanted a pliable Vice President; one with a more than wide gullet, who would soil his hands, such that the fellow won’t be able to seek Presidential office by the time the new President would be completing his term, the lot fell on Atiku Abubakar. Already a Governor-elect, Atiku Abubakar was chosen to be General Obasanjo’s running mate; and the political adventure of the 1999 presidential contest was birthed. While Atiku had his plans for presidential contest, in furtherance of his original aspiration, having failed at the 1992 initial adventure, the Military apparatchik had a different agenda, unknown to him. Generals T.Y Danjuma, IBB and Aliyu Gusau were at the centre of it all. Their movements were visible and well orchestrated to ensure victory for one of their own who was chosen to settle the June 12 issue. Obasanjo’s emergence would also be able to keep the “boys” in the barracks for a stable take-off of the new democratic government. Their thoughts have so far endured; Nigeria as a democracy, for the first time in its chequered history, has survived twenty four unbroken years in its sixty three years after independence. When the plot for the 2007 presidential contest started, Obasanjo, then President, had to checkmate his Vice, Atiku Abubakar. There were several intrigues that dominated the politics of 2007 and Atiku Abubakar was humiliated by his boss, President Obasanjo and accordingly.
As it is today, because the outcome of the Presidential Tribunal has validated Asiwaju Tinubu’s election as President, Atiku has shifted the battleground to the Supreme Court, and is trying all within his power to introduce extraneous factors into a case that the Justices of the Court of Appeal had dealt a mortal blow. Atiku’s exhibitions further deepen the statement that “there is no friendship in the struggle for power.” The individual power seeker is often blinded by his own inordinate ambition while dispensing with whatever friendship that had existed between him and his opponents
Obasanjo called Atiku several names and called him out as “someone who loves money.” The allegations of corruption levelled against Atiku Abubakar by President Obasanjo were legion. This hallmark still besmirched him during the 2023 presidential campaign, when one Michael Achimugu proved it in a leaked audio tape. Indeed even in 2007 it was the then Governor Tinubu of Lagos state that came to Atiku Abubakar’s rescue; by providing him with a platform to contest the General elections. The rationale for contesting was to prove a point to president Obasanjo that he couldn’t stop Atiku with his legion corruption allegations. Governor Tinubu had had a bitter encounter with President Obasanjo over with-held allocated funds that were due to Lagos state. So, as Governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Tinubu was not in sync with anything Obasanjo; hence it was easy for him to offer Atiku Abubakar his political platform to confront President Obasanjo’s candidate, Umar Yar’adua. The elections came and Atiku Abubakar lost woefully and abysmally, even though the elections were characterised by irregularities, flagrantly acknowledged by the man who benefited from it, President Umar Yar’adua; may God rest his soul. The late president later set up the popular Uwais Political Reform Committee that came up with a robust report on how to deepen democracy, reform the electoral system for credible outcomes, and streamline the number of political parties for a more utility-driven democratic engagement.
It is instructive to note that Atiku Abubakar has been seeking to preside over this country since 1992 when he was schemed out of the convention that later produced late M.K.O Abiola. His anger with Asiwaju Tinubu was about the fact that the latter didn’t support him to emerge as the candidate of the APC in 2015 presidential convention in Lagos under the APC, despite the huge resources he wasted on the exercise. In a show of that anger, Atiku Abubakar left the APC after the emergence of General Buhari as President of the country. He swallowed his vomit and re-enrolled as a member of the PDP and started his present opposition; contested in 2019 against Buhari’s second term and also in 2023 against his friend and helper, Asiwaju Tinubu. This man desperately wants to be president of Nigeria as a last port of call in his earthly trajectory. Now, he has virtually relocated to America, still in pursuit of that aspiration, trying effortlessly and vaingloriously to rubbish President Tinubu; the same President Tinubu who rose to his defense in 2007 to ameliorate his battered political image masterminded by Obasanjo. To Atiku Abubakar, President Tinubu MUST be brought down by whatever means to pave way for his vaulting ambition in life; to be president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As it is today, because the outcome of the Presidential Tribunal has validated Asiwaju Tinubu’s election as President, Atiku has shifted the battleground to the Supreme Court, and is trying all within his power to introduce extraneous factors into a case that the Justices of the Court of Appeal had dealt a mortal blow. Atiku’s exhibitions further deepen the statement that “there is no friendship in the struggle for power.” The individual power seeker is often blinded by his own inordinate ambition while dispensing with whatever friendship that had existed between him and his opponents.
Atiku’s desperation is fierce! He is trying all he can to mount the political throne by all and any means possible. After having Buhari as president for 8years, he pretends to be oblivious to the algorithms of the political of the country is sitting on the balance. He is ready to rubbish the deliberate and conscious effort already made to promote stability in the system. The Southern part of the country rightly ought to produce a citizen for the office of the President, in a robust arrangement that makes room for inclusion and belongingness. Atiku would have none of this; hence the G-5 of his PDP with arms up in the air had to openly work against his interest and their party. With his latest onslaught to demystify and unravel President Tinubu, the days ahead are going to be quite interesting. If the verdict of the Court of Appeal, such a water-tight judgment, is anything to go by, his appeal to the Supreme Court is with certitude going to be fait accompli
President Tinubu on the other hand, has his political strategy cut for him. Very suave and unassuming, he went after his presidential ambition once, in a very calculated and strategic manner, and he clinched the trophy. Underrated, but he was focused with his eyes on the ball. Now victorious and in government, his supposed political friend whom he had saved in 2007 by offering the friend his platform, has now intensified a clinch to ensure he, now a frienemy, extracts the last breath out of President Tinubu. Atiku is desperately trying all he can to ensure that he strikes President Tinubu down. Chicago State University is now the battle field in this quest. Meanwhile, Atiku’s Diploma certificate, and how he became a Master’s Degree holder is still curious; reminds me of the old saying, “magic is magic.” The Presidential Tribunal has already given its verdict and there is no room to smuggle any extraneous evidence into this case that has already been decided once, and is now before the Supreme Court of the land. I understand that a former security chieftain, and ally of Atiku Abubakar who is reputed to be a CIA agent is the nucleus of a plot to use his external influence to undercut Tinubu, on the excuse that President Tinubu cannot be controlled like a puppet, and will not play ball. This security chieftain is practically seeing this as the last chance to get back to government and power.
Atiku’s desperation is fierce! He is trying all he can to mount the political throne by all and any means possible. After having Buhari as president for 8years, he pretends to be oblivious to the algorithms of the political of the country is sitting on the balance. He is ready to rubbish the deliberate and conscious effort already made to promote stability in the system. The Southern part of the country rightly ought to produce a citizen for the office of the President, in a robust arrangement that makes room for inclusion and belongingness. Atiku would have none of this; hence the G-5 of his PDP with arms up in the air had to openly work against his interest and their party. With his latest onslaught to demystify and unravel President Tinubu, the days ahead are going to be quite interesting. If the verdict of the Court of Appeal, such a water-tight judgment, is anything to go by, his appeal to the Supreme Court is with certitude going to be fait accompli. From what we saw before, the presentation by his lawyers at the Presidential Tribunal left several loopholes that did not help their case. The onus of proof in any election litigation, is on the petitioner; they would have to present the facts and not sentiments, to validate their claim. The Tribunal verdict and declarations are well located within the ambit of the law, and their verdict has been commended by a cross section of Nigerians, while the opposition as expected, is wasting their time picking holes in the verdict. Election litigations are often within substantial compliance, and the prepunderance of the issues raised are critically and painstakingly looked into. The issues must be established beyond REASONABLE DOUBT, in a manner that would make it obvious that the election outcome has fallen below what is fair and acceptable. President Tinubu has set sail as President of the Federal Republic, and has been engaging people all over the world, trying to create opportunities for the country to rediscover itself. I doubt if Atiku Abubakar’s lurks can vitiate his efforts thus far, to relaunch the country into reckoning. Doubtful, very doubtful I’ll say.
. Afegbua, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, is a former Commissioner for Information in Edo State