#MeetAtiku Session That Overpowered Him

One of the trending events or activities on twitter today is #MeetAtiku, a hashtag created a couple of days ago to bring the aspiring president, a one time Vice President, closer to the people, get to answer some of the numerous questions they have for him and share his thoughts and ideas about the challenges in Nigeria and what he will do if peradventure he’s elected the President of the largest country in the African continent. I must say from what i saw and from what am still seeing, that it was and still is, more than Atiku Abubakar expected. The pack was full, the questions were sweating and the man was definitely put on the hot spot.

Before today, Atiku, who has been engaging the young Nigerians on the web, pretending to speak on their issues, attacking policies without making any in replacement, criticizing presidential moves on every issues most especially on the insurgency challenges the country has had to contend with over the last few months…thought he’s got a handle on them and now can launch himself and his presidential ambition through them as first hand witnesses, was beaten with some hard stick of surprise. Just as if the young people that filled the twitter space has been waiting for such an opportunity to get it all out. They poured in their questions and statements, some polite while many others, not friendly at all. In fact, one of them had to ask whether he was going to declare his assets starting from when he became the Vice President. Below is a few of their questions and comments:

Those are just the very few of the various questions, comments, statements or whatever it is you want to call it, that people put across to Atiku during the session. One interesting thing here is that Atiku sort of skipped most question that the people thought was quite vital, such as the one that asked why he failed to develop his community in Adamawa State when he was Nigeria’s Vice President. Or the one from @MrAyeDee that says, “#MeetAtiku Why did the US Senate use your corrupt practices as the basis of a case study on how corruption thrives -> http://goo.gl/WfMWZW“; “#MeetAtiku A US Senate Report dated Feb 4th, 2010 accuses you BY NAME of transferring US$ 40 Million into over 30 US Bank Accounts”; “#MeetAtiku Would you be willing to publicly declare your assets, alongside those of your wives, children and concubines?”. For me this would have been a great opportunity for Atiku to clear the stinking air around him but he avoided  the questions, a mistake waiting to confront him whenever he declares his intention to run for the president.

Just yesterday in an interview, Atiku Abubakar had this to say about President Jonathan, his administration and the insurgency that have held Nigeria hostage for many months now. He said, “This insurgency shouldn’t have lasted even six months. Within weeks, we (Obasanjo and I) crushed it because we did not neglect military training and, of course, we did not lack the leadership and the capacity to take decisions. I told Nigerians that he (Jonathan) did not have the capacity; he didn’t have the experience. He didn’t have anything and yet they gave him the chance, the opportunity. And they can now see the chance and the opportunity they gave him. Of course, I’m more experienced than he is. I believe my capacity cannot be compared with his, in all respect.”