Who Is Scared Of Atiku Abubakar? -By Gozie Irogboli

When a friend of mine called to jibe me about my position on Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition, I told him that though I have not met or known Atiku in person but I have studied Nigeria political environment long enough to know the key actors. I have monitored Atiku’s political activities long enough to understand his political philosophy and to learn that he is a force to reckon with in Nigeria contemporary politics. Atiku is a man who is sincere, dogged, resilient, courageous, articulate and humane. Just as he is loved, respected and adored by many, he is also misunderstood and feared by many. Those who fear him are the mischief-makers who carry out smear campaign against his person.

But no matter what anybody thinks of say. If Nigeria must be fixed, we need broad-minded, liberal democrats and statesmen like Atiku Abubakar at this time of national malaise. We need one who has productively managed human and material resources. We need one who is a relationship manager and a bridge-builder. We need one who has achieved success in his private undertakings; who is not coming to steal from the government till. We need one who is conceptually, technically and naturally equipped to deftly handle state affairs. We need one who is civil, courageous and intelligent. We need a real democrat; who believes in the ideals of democracy, the rule of law, dialogue, civil advocacy, productive engagement and goal congruence. We do not need pretenders, ethnic jingoists, and religious bigots masquerading as democrats.

I know Atiku’s strength and weight as a colossus in our political sphere. When PDP lost the Presidential election 2015, I wrote among other things in a widely syndicated article on the 3rd April, 2015 entitled A vote for Chanji that: “the main loser in this election no doubt is the ruling PDP. The strength of the party is eviscerated by internal bickering, pick-and-chose syndrome that OBJ introduced that estranged the party founding fathers. Rebuilding the party will be at a very huge cost except they have the likes of the Atiku Abubakar back again in the party fold.”

Again, when he returned to PDP in 2017, I wrote on 12th December, 2017: “Indeed, Atiku’s move did not come to many as a surprise for he has been strident in condemning the shenanigans, the inadequacies and the dictatorial tendencies of the current administration. He has also been at the fore front of the clamor for the restructuring of the nation—something the present regime considers as a no-go area.” I added that, “one of those individuals in the present day Nigeria with the strength and sagacity to extricate Nigeria from the stranglehold of these apparent insuperable generals and restore the deserved honor to civil politics is the Turaki. This is why the OBJ and his ilk are apprehensive of his emergence and are hell bent on checkmating him.”

Furthermore, in another piece on Atiku and professionals in politics, I stated among other things that: In the current dispensation, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (GCON), the Turaki of Adamawa fits perfectly into the mould of professionals in politics being an accomplished business man with a large business empire and one of the highest employers of labor in the private sector Nigeria. Clearly, it takes a lot of effort, discipline, commitment and skills to build a thriving business. A genuine business man is a people and a resource manager and that is also what it entails to manage a nation. By building a profitable business empire, he has proved clearly that he is a prudent resource manager; somebody we also need now that our economy is tottering in the doldrums.

Moreover, by working and creating an indomitable political structure across the nation, he has proved to be a good relationship manager; a skill every great leader must have. In civilized climes, leaders are effective relationship and resource managers. Nigeria is in dire need of a bridge builder who would work assiduously to re-unite the country factionalized by the divisive tendencies of the current regime. The Turaki is not known for playing the ethnic or the religious card. Sometimes, the ignorant public thinks the professionals are naïve because they tend to play according to the rules—the reason they thought Jonathan was clueless and Yara’dua slow. Only the Turaki and the few like him have played principle-based politics, devoid of bitterness and ethnic rancor. He had been at the forefront of the campaign to restructure the polity despite the stiff opposition from the North, his own constituency. And in the past, he had made sacrifices for Democracy in Nigeria. He had willingly stepped down for MKO in the prelude to the June 12, 1993 election in the interest of the nation. He was a foundation member of PDP and had made invaluable contribution that led to the restoration of Democracy in 1999. He was one of those who made principled opposition to OBJ’s ill-contrived third-term agenda in 2007.

Without doubt, Atiku may not be a saint but one thing is certain about him: he is a real statesman, detribalized and patriotic. He wants to be president because he wants to make a mark. He is not a jobless politician that lives by the perks of office. He is an accomplished business mogul, so he is not coming to steal from the government coffers. It is on record that he was the foundation member and one of the major financiers of PDP at its inception. He has made enough sacrifice for the enthronement and survival of Democracy in Nigeria. He has mentored, sponsored and supported many upcoming professionals and politicians in Nigeria. He has friends and allies across the ethnic and political divide in Nigeria.

Clearly, among those coming out to contest now, none has made more contribution to our inchoate democracy than Atiku Abubakar. It is clear that those who are trying to malign his person are those who are afraid of him; those who are intimidated by his personality and towering political profile. Among these group, you have, the ruling APC, the cult of generals led by OBJ, his political opponents, the Northern fundamentalists, the ethnic irredentists and the anarchists who do not want democracy to thrive in Nigeria. And they have various reasons to be scared of him. The Wazirin of Adamawa is unarguably one of the most experienced politicians alive in Nigeria today. Atiku. Atiku’s towering political stature, his pedigree and experience as a political strategist are a serious cause for concern in the camp of the ruling party APC. He has the got the wherewithal, the clout, the charisma and the sagacity to navigate through our turbulent political waters. APC’s woeful performance is another thing that made them apprehensive of Atiku. He is like a tsunami and an object of bugaboo to his political opponents. To the cult of generals who thinks it is their prerogative to choose who governs the country, the coming of Atiku will mean disconnecting them and demilitarizing our democracy. The Northern fundamentalists are usually not comfortable with Atiku’s liberal political philosophy. It is not surprising that some ethnic jingoists and forces from outside the PDP seem to have infiltrated the main opposition party through some subtle campaign with the aim of stalling Atiku’s presidential bid.

It is really unfortunate that Nigeria seems to be a country that thrives on propaganda, hear-says and prevarications. But, this is time for Nigerians to be cautious, discountenance rumors and recognize what is at stake as the 2023 general election beckons. I have said it for the umpteenth time that if Nigeria must survive beyond 2023 the current APC regime that has brought misery, death and disunity must be voted out. If Nigeria must survive as a nation, it must vote competence. Nigeria must avoid the mistake of 2015.

Gozie Irogboli
An economist, a novelist and public policy analyst
(goziei@yahoo.com)