Atiku Returns to the Drawing Board
After a lull in his campaigns, former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, last week, resumed consultations in a manner that has rejuvenated the fireworks ahead of his presidential bid, writes Shola Oyeyipo
For many pundits and analysts, particularly those looking forward to formidable opponents capable of ousting the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership, the concern is that less than eight months to the presidential election, there are no aspirants strong enough to give the sitting president a good run for his posturing, even though former VicePresident Atiku Abubakar has always been there in his face
s correct as that concern may seem on the surface, truth is that members of the APC can hardly feign ignorance of various underground scheming targeted at removing the Buhari leadership.
While some new breed politicians are working tirelessly to make resounding impacts in the elections, some renowned political figures, like Abubakar, are not necessarily docile, they are working behind the curtain to build structures that can adequately contend with the ruling APC.
To discerning, however, Atiku took his presidential ambition a notch further when in November 2017, he opted to resign from the APC along with scores of his supporters, alleging draconian clampdown of democracy in the party. He left for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has continued to pursue his ambition.
Though there was some sort of lull in the camp of Atiku’s presidential movement at a point, which could be traced to the ongoing alignments and realignments, the North-east politician seems to have re-oiled his political machinery for the final phase of the election run.
Since Monday, June 18, 2018, the former APC stalwart has resumed the pursuit of his presidential ambition by visiting states controlled by the PDP, on his nationwide consultation with leaders and stakeholders of the party, to actualise his presidential ambition.
Last Monday, accompanied by the Director General, Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCO), former Ogin State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, he visited Ekiti State, where he met with Governor Ayodele Fayose and rallied support for the PDP candidate in the state in the July 14 governorship election, Prof Kolapo Olusola.
The following day, Tuesday, he visited Bayelsa State. He was guest of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson and former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, whom he ran against in 2011, when he emerged the consensus candidate of the North. He seized the opportunity to seek support for his presidential ambition and vowed to better the lives of Nigerians. Atiku, who said he had followed Dickson’s advocacy on restructuring, told the governor that, “I agree with you and I want to.let you know that I have been advocating the issue ofArestructuring since 2004. I want to invite you to join me to work together with me ahead of 2019 so that we can do it together,” adding that it was because he was an advocate of restructuring that he presented a book written by him on the need for proper restructuring of Nigeria to the governor.
Governor Dickson described Atiku as a veteran in politics and noted that the 2019 presidential election would be a referendum through which the Nigerian voters would decide who governs them.
Atiku was received by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike at the Government House Port Harcourt on Thursday. He also paid courtesy calls on some PDP stakeholders in the state.
Atiku and his team are expected to visit Lagos and Delta States on Sunday, 23 and Tuesday, 26, June respectively, where the PDP presidential aspirant will continue his consultative talks with leaders and chieftains of the party in the states.
He had visited Akwa Ibom and Cross River States before taking a break to observe the Ramadan fast during which period he traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser hajj. His message on these visits is very clear. He is urging Nigerians to rise up to the challenge of taking power from the incumbent government of President Buhari.
Shortly after the visit, the lawmaker representing Bayelsa East senatorial district, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, commended the former vice president for the visit on his twitter handle. He described the politician as “the choice to get the country working again,” adding that “I am excited at the passionate welcome of Atiku. My people and I are convinced that he is the choice to get Nigeria working again.”
A quick check among important players in the zone reveal something interesting. Bruce may not be alone in his opinion about Atiku. There are other Nigerians, who are deciding to support if only because of his promise to ensure restructuring.
Therefore, just as in the case of Jonathan, many of those who openly antagonise President Buhari fear that they will be in for it if he gets a second chance, hence they are prepared to queue behind anyone, who can defeat him at the election and Atiku is becoming more appealing.
Though a major setback to Atiku’s ambition has always been the open antagonism by his former boss, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, there are indications that the former president may eventually be left without any choice than to support Atiku, at least, in national interest.
A source working closely with Obasanjo’s Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), which was set up to galvanise Nigerians to vote out Buhari from office told THISDAY that Atiku is the preferred candidate of the South-west, Southeast, South-south and the middle belt and that Obasanjo would be advised to support him at the election.
Speaking strictly on the condition of anonymity, the prominent South-west leader said: “We hope to tell Obasanjo to support Atiku. Though some people are considering Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, Southerners are apprehensive that he would be another version of Buhari, because of his fundamentalist disposition.
“We prefer Atiku, because of his stance on restructuring. Though we are not convinced that he would implement full restructuring, certainty he would carry out restructuring that would begin to move Nigeria forward. So, we can take it up from there,” he said. There is no doubt that the new development has added more vigour to the former vice-president’s ambition.
Where Obasanjo submits to pressure to support him and also considering his political pedigree in the North, with his growing acceptability among pro-restructuring groups down south, it would not be out of place to presume that he might soon become the face of opposition ahead of 2019.