An Open Letter to Former Vice President and the PDP Presidential Flag Bearer for 2019 General Election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar -By Okike Benjamin

Dear Sir,

Congratulations on your success as the PDP presidential flag bearer for the 2019 general election in Nigeria. It is good to let you realize that the battle to Aso Rock Villa just begun with your emergence as the party’ s choice of presidential candidate for the election. It is not yet over until the final whistle is blown just like in football pitch.

The government of the day has all the arsenals and the necessary instruments to retain the seat of power in Aso Rock. However, the government in power and her appointees lack one basic instrument. They are not digitally endowed.

Atiku Abubakar

In 2016 United States of America general election, Barrack Obama referred to as the then government and her anointed candidate referred to ‘picken’ in the person of Secretary Hilary Clinton were defeated by Donald John Trump. This was made possible by the aggressive digital campaign embarked upon by Donald Trump. You can read my congratulatory message to Donald Trunp, which included “The Thank You Massage” from Donald to me here. Then, I was in North Carolina, United States and was involved during the electioneering campaigns and offered my services to him.

In 2015 general election in Nigeria, I worked from the ‘back end’ to support General Buhari’ s election bid and his campaign slogan “Change” was the motivating factor. Before then, I had always believed that changes are positive, but I now know how wrong I was then. Unfortunately, when I observed that his change was moving towards the negative direction at the early days of his administration, I wrote to him an open letter, which can be read from here .

When it seemed as if things are getting worse in the country, I was forced to write an open letter to the former Head of State and President, General Olusegun Obasanjo, who was one time your boss in the office. The essence of writing to the former president was to as an elder statesman see how he can dicuss with General Buhari to ensure that there is equity in the appointments within the country. But rather than General Obananjo employing diplomacy, he wrote advising General Buhari not to seek re-election. That made the President to beam a torch light to the sixteen billion dollars power project during General Obasanjo’s administration. This resulted to your former boss maintaining absolute silence in matters relating to the Nigeria polity. My letter to your former boss can be found here.

In a similar way, I have tried to remind the present president that Nigerians are not happy with the loop-sided appointments which is the order of the day in Nigeria today by bringing the memories of a patriot in the person of Major General Tunde Idiagbon of blessed memory, his former deputy in the military. The article captioned “President Mohammadu Buhari Needs to be Surrounded by More “Tunde Idiagbons” than Sycophants“ can read that here.

Although, your fellow contestants for the primary election all agreed that whoever emerges is acceptable to all. But you know that Nigerian politicians are not usually sincere. As the victor in the primary election, it will be good that you settle the vanquished (others who contested with you), so that there will not be division within the party.

My advice to you is that you embark upon aggressive digital campaign without further delay. There is no time again. Before you know it, February, 2019 will be by the corner. In that election, General Buhari would double as both the government and her ‘picken’. If Donald Trump was able to trump the United States government and her ‘picken’ using digital campaign, you can do likewise. With digital campaign, Nigerian youths would be actively involved. Bearing in mind the population of the youths, that would assist in escorting you to Aso Rock, your dream destination.

As a professor in Computer Science, I am ready to offer my services to you in whatever capacity you may request during the electioneering campaigns and thereafter. My interest is that Nigeria needs to make progress in the positive direction.

Thanks.

Yours faithfully,

Okike Benjamin
A Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science,
University of Abuja, Nigeria