Atiku And Wike’s Strategic Peace Initiative -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

The news of the meeting between the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in upcoming general election in 2023 Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (GCON) and the governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike in London to resolve the apparent lingering crisis in the party is heartwarming not just to the party faithful but to other concerned Nigerians desirous of chasing out the obnoxious All Progressives Congress (APC) regime that has put the nation on a reverse gear. I am indeed elated by the truce and the desire of the parties to sue for peace.

The shenanigans and the bickering that attended the selection of Atiku’s running mate became worrisome when it became apparent that Wike who had earlier declared that he had no interest of becoming anybody’s deputy felt shortchanged by Atiku’s decision to pick Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, the governor of Delta State as his running mate instead of him, began to indulge in seemingly anti-party activities by romancing with the ruling APC, holding overt and clandestine meetings with different groups despite the moves by the worried party hierarchy to resolve the conflict.

Generally, intrigues, skirmishes and shenanigans are regular occurrences in politics; they are often seen as the lubricant that oils the political processes and machinery. And so are disagreements and dissentions that help in negotiations, interest articulations and aggregations. But what makes the difference usually, is the capacity and the methods of resolving the disputes and accommodating disparate interests. It is in the light of this that I wish to commend the party’s standards bearer, the Wazirin Adamawa who have exhibited uncommon sense of maturity and commitment toward the resolution of the oft-reported crisis rocking the party since his emergence as the party’s flag bearer.

Despite the obvious provocation and smear campaigns orchestrated by those apprehensive of his towering political influence, Atiku remained calm, focused and articulate. Atiku Abubakar refused to be distracted the din and the cacophony of voices throwing jibes at him. He remained true to his reputation as a statesman and a unifier who is on a mission to rescue, unify and reposition Nigeria on the path of peace, prosperity and progress.

I will also wish to appreciate governor Wike and his team that have decided to meet with the Atiku for the purpose of resolving the crisis apparently blown out of proportion by the hirelings in the press that want to precipitate crisis in the party in order to confuse the electorates. I wish to also advise that in their negotiations, they should put the survival of the party and the interest of the nation first before personal interest. The nation will be in great danger in 2023 if the ruling APC wins the presidential election in 2023 and they may be heading for early retirement from politics since PDP may be too emasculated to survive as a party.

Thus, my genuine advice to the parties to the conflict is to sheath their sword and seek settlement. It is to the interest of all to do so. No sacrifice is too much to rescue the nation from the mess the APC regime has forced on the nation. The only political association with the spread, resources and experience to wrestle power from APC and liberate the country from the throes of anarchy and misery is the PDP. So, destabilizing PDP through this uncalled-for wrangling will mean allowing the misrule of APC to continue. Winning the general election will require genuine commitment and subordinating personal interest under national interest. There is need for rapprochement and the elevation of the esprit de corps mindset among the party faithful in order to be able to synergize to carry out the onerous task ahead.

I have said it in different fora and for the umpteenth time that what is at stake in 2023 general election is not just about electing new political representatives but about the survival of the nation. The APC regime has shown gross incompetence in the management of the affairs of heterogeneous nation like Nigeria.

The APC’s government of exclusion and vengeful policies have created divisions and polarized the nation deeply along religious and ethnic lines.

National unity is bastardized giving rise to separatist agitations, mutual suspicion and rancor, religious unrest and socio-political instability. Insecurity and social vices are the order of the day reverberating in the economy kept comatose by corruption and mismanagement of national resources. What is required therefore as a matter of national emergency is to correct this unsavory state of affairs in the nation by voting out the APC government that has displayed inept leadership and lack of patriotism in handling the affairs of the state.

But, this can only be achieved if the main opposition party unite and brace up for the task ahead. The APC it has been observed is going into the next year’s election from a disadvantaged position given their woeful performance in the last seven years. It is hoped that the PDP will maximize this advantage thrust into their hand fortuitously by working to return to power. Nigerians are mulling ruefully about their error of 2015 that brought the APC regime to power and are nostalgically relishing the PDP years. My in-laws have a dictum that says, “When a woman marries two husbands, he will be able to ascertain which is better.” Nigerians have tasted the PDP government and the APC regime and can attest to the fact that there is a difference despite the misleading claim by the hypocritical political commentators that they are the same. PDP, Nigerians the moment of truth is now! Shine your eye!!!

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK