Understanding Atiku Abubakar’s Political Philosophy -By Gozie Irogboli

The din, the uproar and the issues generated by the 2019 Presidential election appears to have ebbed and now the political jobbers, pretenders and the gladiators seems to have their attention turned fixedly on the forth-coming 2023 election. Events in Nigerian political arena seem to take a very bizarre pattern. I am bothered about the future of the country. I am worried about the gullible public that seems to have wrong notion of everything; that seems to believe rumors more than truth. I am tired about rent-seeking jobbers masquerading as politicians and pettifoggers and charlatans parading themselves as the peoples’ advocate. I am outraged about public officers that have no ethical fiber and direction. Our politicians have no basic political philosophy other self-preservation and adulation.

Philosophy generally, is concerned with fundamental principles of life, existence, knowledge, and search for general understanding of values, phenomenon, reality, beliefs and concepts. Thus, political philosophy may be seen as the basic principles guarding ones political engagement. Political philosophy emerges when men make it their goal to develop the knowledge of real political order. A sound political philosophy should revolve around deploying state power to enhance the quality of life of the citizenry. Political philosophy may be a tool to gain power or justify it. It is the raison d’être for stepping out into the murky water of politics and getting involved in political activism. It is the ethical basis for getting entangled in political matters.

It controls ones thoughts and attitude to political phenomena. It makes one gets a clearer understanding of the aims of the government, political obligation, liberty, social justice, rule of law, power sharing, sovereignty, the principles of political representation and such other political concepts. It is directional; it can help preserve the status quo or help effect positive social change when necessary.

Clearly, only very few politicians inhabiting Nigerian political landscape understand the tenets of Democracy and the imperatives of the concept of political philosophy. And without equivocation one of the very few respected personalities in this category is His Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (GCON), the Wazirin Adamawa, and former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I do not want present Atiku as a saint. No. Everybody has his foibles and Atiku has his but when compared to the many that trot about as politicians in Nigeria, Atiku stands out among the pack. His patriotic zest and statesmanly conduct should be a template for others to copy. He seems to be grounded in the dogmas of democracy.

At the epicenter of his political philosophy are patriotism, tolerance, economic empowerment and national interest. In contrast with the nihilist and revanchist approach of the present era, Atiku believes in the primacy of national interest over and above every other interest—religious, personal, ethnic, sectarian etc. Atiku’s political virtues are guided by the ideals of Democracy and rule of law. He identifies with the progenitors of politics without bitterness. He learned the ropes under Yaradua and he identifies with the politicians of old who espouse the doctrine of patriotism and peaceful co-existence. He appears to be one of the few contemporary politicians that understand the eclectic nature of the country, Nigeria and hence he tries to support every course that promotes national cohesion.

No doubt, his political philosophy is shaped by his background, orientation and sense of patriotism. It is said that some people were born with golden spoon and some with silver spoon but Atiku Abubakar was not born with any spoon at all .He came from a poor background and having lost his father very early in his life, he struggled to achieve whatever success he has today. This obviously explains why he likes merit and hard work; why he advocates creating enabling environment for creative enterprise. His public service career as a custom officer made him interact with a broad spectrum of individuals and made him develop acute environmental awareness. He has no hang-ups, not encumbered by cultural baggage; he is completely detribalized. He is acutely aware that for a multi-cultural entity like Nigerians, tolerance is a prime necessity. He is a peoples’ manager, an astute relationship manager and a bridge-builder.

It is not out of place to state that Atiku Abubakar seems to have taken more political risk in Nigerian more than any politician alive today. Atiku has made more sacrifice for the survival of democracy in Nigeria today. His commitment, dedication and doggedness are nonpareil in the annals of the Nigerian politics. For the interest of national unity and against his personal interest, he stepped down for MKO Abiola to clinch the SDP presidential ticket during the June 12, 1993 election. He made personal sacrifices to lubricate the PDM political structure he inherited from the late Shehu Musa Ya’radua. He used his personal resources to bankroll the formation and campaigns of PDP.
But, he is one of the few misunderstood Nigerians. Clearly, Atiku Abubakar’s many successes are not without a cost. Indeed, because of his towering image, charisma, domineering and pervasive influence and astuteness he has always attracted envy and unwarranted attacks. Some observers believe that that is the price he has to pay for being too smart and quick-witted. One of those whose envy he courted was his former boss OBJ who became envious of his rising profile and decided to smear him with phantom corruption allegations that have not been established till date. Obasanjo led a campaign of calumny against Atiku when he tried unsuccessfully to frame him in corrupt cases. OBJ is one selfish person who sowed the seed of instability in our country today, who is the proponent of do-or-die politics and whose only known political philosophy is me, I and myself. OBJ is one selfish individual that would climb a height with a ladder and immediately after, destroy the ladder to prevent even those who held the ladder for him to climb from climbing the height he has attained.

Indeed, the price Atiku Abubakar has to pay for being intelligent is that he must be envied by the less fortunate “homopoliticus”; the burden he has to bear for his colossal stature is that he must be maligned and accused of this and that in order to whittle down his indomitable stature. And this is made worse by the poor political education and negative enlightenment that has tended to make the masses have wrong notion of power and governance and tended to make them believe in lies and propaganda churned out by a section of the press.

Atiku Abubakar hated his boss do-or-die political philosophy, the same way he abhors “sit-tightism” in office. He always rises up for higher responsibilities and higher ideals. He resigned from customs even when he still had more years of service left when he realized he could serve better and empower people by running his own business. He left his candidacy in Adamawa where he was sure of clinching electoral victory and joined OBJ as his running mate when victory at the polls where not yet assured because it was call to serve in a higher capacity.

I have said it for the umpteenth time that the only person among the Nigerian political gladiators with the clout, courage and patriotic fervor to demilitarize our politics and rescue Nigeria from the cult of generals that has held us down for too long is the Wazirin Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. He did it against Abacha, he fought against OBJ’s Third-Termism, and he is also leading the fight against Buhari’s authoritarian regime. The coterie of generals circulating themselves and their cronies within the corridors of power political circles know this and that is the main reason they are apprehensive of the emergence of the likes of Atiku.

He is bold and courageous. He is never afraid to speak out against the evils in the polity. He also encourages civil advocacy, knowing that it is one essential tool that lubricates the machinery of Democracy and good governance. His recent call to the national assembly to reject the approval of any new loan request meant for “projects that are not viable” indicates his patriotic fervor. It also shows that he has clear understanding of the workings of the economy. He knows the implication of accumulating debt and would not want to burden the future general with unproductive debt.

For our Democracy to survive, we need the patriotic zeal of people like Atiku, not the self-seeking ethnic jingoist masquerading as progressives. Nigerians must be on the qui vive!

Gozie Irogboli
goziei@yahoo.com
An economist, a consultant and public policy analyst