Atiku: A Man That Burnt His Candle At Two Edges -By Peter Ojelabi

2023 general election has gone and won, the cloud is getting clearer after the rainfall. We could clearly differentiate between the winner and the vanquish. Congratulations to the winner! And to the vanquish, Olympic is not always to win but to participate, everyone has done absolutely well, but in every competition there could only be one winner.

The only way of lighting a candle, is to put the fire on cotton at the edge of a side, however, there is a strategic way of lighting it at the bottom, I could remember during a candle night procession of a departed student on campus, those who came with candle will cut it into two for those who don’t. This shows that it is not only one place a candle can be lighting. A candle that is lighting from the top have high chances of longevity than the one lighting from the bottom. But if you want the candle to burn faster light it at the two side.

Though not included in the constitution, Nigeria seems to be practising power shift from South to North since the country returned to democracy in 1999. Going back to history, Obasanjo was elected as president, followed by Yaradua, then Goodluck Jonathan and to Muhammadu Buhari, after Buhari eight years there is no sheer that should dictate this known fact that power should return to the south.

On this premises, the southern governors demonstrated their bravery by declaring that the next president should come from southern part of the country.

The declaration that was made in Asaba had in attendance the governors in the south led by Ondo state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, their resolution which mainly based on rotation of power was supported by the elders  in the region. Though without the declaration, it is even audible to the deaf that, a northerner succeeding a northerner will shows the hegemony of a region which is contrary to the features of federalism that the nations is practising that, no region should be strong enough to take others for ransom.

The declaration started a new wave when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar obtained the presidential ticket of PDP, it was like a joke when the northern voters in the presidential primary election of PDP rally round their new bride and delivered a bloc vote for him to clinched the ticket while defeating the incumbent governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike. Atiku victory’s in the primary set the main opposition in  disarray. First Peter Obi left the party to seek for greener pasture somewhere, though it was before the primary election. Second, former governor of Kano State, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso and his kwankwasiyya group has found solace in New Nigeria People’s Party(NNPP). Lastly, the one that breaks the Camel’s neck is the Wike and his fellow aggrieved G5.

On set, the hope of Waziri of Adamawa look deem and his back is about to hit the ground once again. But his resistance was proven to be a no retreat, no surrender.

Like Chinua Achebe, ‘Things fall apart’ it seem the mighty Okonkwo will not be able to threw the  ‘CAT’. However, two legs and five fingers of the CAT that is injure has reduced his prowess and has made both the cat and rat to be a playmate! At last okonkwo threw the ‘CAT’.

Despite the cracked in PDP, the opposition party proved to be a formidable wall that can not be penetrated by rat prior to the election. Things seems to be walking in their ways, yet, Tinubu and his Jagaban scorpion’s sting without poison. The demonstration that follows the announcement of president elect shows that, the  defeat sting the opposition party more than bee, and its venom is poisonous more than that of python

Though it is within Atiku constitutional right to contest, hence, it will interest one to know that , if he had thrown weight behind a southern presidency, he would have become one of the most respected elder statesman in Nigeria and by extension Africa. But by contesting, he has traded power with prestige hence, burning his candle at two edges which made it to burnt quick.

Peter Ojelabi writes from Ogbomoso

Pojelabi@gmail.com