Democracy & Governance
Atiku And Tinubu: Is Either of them Fit to be the President of Nigeria? -By Olowoopejo Oreoluwa Faithia
. There are lots of years between 1999 – when Tinubu was the governor of Lagos state and Atiku was the vice president – and now; 2023. During these years things have changed as people have, so to say, evolved along with their character. Tinubu is no longer as vibrant as he was. His health has deteriorated and old age is setting in, the videos of the things he has done, probably mistakenly, has circulated the internet and is now serving as proof of his declining brain.
Nigeria is a country with numerous tribes. With over 250 ethnic groups, it is not unusual that holding the reins of Nigeria is a battle that only the fittest will win. Although, we claim to practise democracy in Nigeria, we all know that that is only a disguise. Instead, there is an unwritten, even almost unspoken rule that the leadership of the nation rotates between the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria – Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo- and after one ethnic group, another takes the rein, but this time it seems different as the three major ethnic groups all want to be in charge. This piece is focusing on the candidates of the two ethnic groups that seem mostly at loggerhead with each other: Atiku for the North, Tinubu for the South.
On the one hand, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a strange name in the politics of Nigeria. He once was the governor of Lagos state in 1999 and his achievements cannot be understated. During his reign as the governor of Lagos state he was faced with numerous challenges such as bad roads, decaying infrastructure, high crime rate, poor welfare for civil servants amongst others. He tackled these problems valiantly. He carried out 417 road construction projects spanning 250 kilometres some of these roads are Lekki- Epe Expressway, LASU- Iba road, amongst others, he tackled health problems by providing free health services for children under 12 and adults above 60,free ante-natal care for women, to mention a few. One of his greatest achievement as the governor of Lagos state is the creation of new Local Government Areas( LGAs). He created 37 LGAs in addition to the already existing 20 and funded it without revenue from the federal government, it would be a lie and a slanderous act to say that a man like this is not capable of ruling Nigeria.
On the other hand, Atiku Abubakar is also not a stranger to Nigerian politics being an ex- vice president. He was the vice president during the regime of ex- president Olusegun Obasanjo and even as a vice president, he made numerous contribution to the growth of Nigeria. Atiku led the Economic Management Team that paid off Nigeria’s debt, adding that he also privatised the telecom and cement industries, which, according to him, exploded Nigeria’s GDP and created jobs, he pushed for the creation of the Economic Finance Crime Commission (EFCC), and gave that corruption fighting body their first grant, from his budget, because they were created in between budgets, he also led the Obasanjo administration’s efforts to restore peace, law and order during the Sharia crisis of 2000, to mention a few. On the note his achievements, it would be an act of aspersion to say that he is also not capable of ruling Nigeria.
Indisputably, times have changed. There are lots of years between 1999 – when Tinubu was the governor of Lagos state and Atiku was the vice president – and now; 2023. During these years things have changed as people have, so to say, evolved along with their character. Tinubu is no longer as vibrant as he was. His health has deteriorated and old age is setting in, the videos of the things he has done, probably mistakenly, has circulated the internet and is now serving as proof of his declining brain. I think most people would agree with the fact that an old man licking the microphone he was asked to test, mixing up the words he wants to say, is already feeling the pangs of old age, he may be sustained and maintained by drugs but, will those drugs be able to sustain him after he carries the weight of Nigeria on his shoulders?
As known by most, Atiku’s credibility has been questioned over the past years. He has been accused of corruption a number of times, and even if they were refuted as allegations, it cannot be forgotten that for it to even come up he must done something questionable. A lot of times he has been accused of financial impropriety. Towards the end of his reign as vice president, he faced charges relating to abuse of office, embezzlement of public funds and money laundering. The government, during his reign, claims that grave irregularities had characterized the handling of about $135 million in the coffers of a government agency, which he headed. He is alleged to have applied the funds to benefit his friends and associates. Can a man who’s integrity and credibility has been questioned many times be suitable for such a high position where greed and corruption reside?
The big question of this piece is that is either of them – Tinubu and Atiku – really capable of being the president of Nigeria?
