By Kassim Afegbua.
In the past one week, I am sure you have seen my position concerning the aspiration of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, our former Vice President whose quest to preside over the country started in 1990, some 32 years ago. In the 2019 presidential election, as a member of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, I joined other like minds to campaign vigorously for the aspiration of the party’s flagbearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Some of our engagements were borne out of sheer courage in the face of the threat, intimidation and harassment by agents of the ruling party, the APC. Despite the obvious threats, some of us remained undaunted and still went ahead, at personal risk, to execute the onerous task of ensuring that our candidate emerged victorious. We toiled from the dawn of the day to the setting of the sun in our collective effort to defeat the APC.
After the elections, we were very sure we won but the declared results proved otherwise. We were still very confident that the tribunal would be a good and proper ground to expose all the discrepancies and manipulations in the election. Here we go. The party and the candidate prepared all legal grounds to challenge the outcome of that massively rigged election especially in Yobe and Borno states which recorded an unprecedented attendance at the elections, even when it was obvious these two states are troubled states as a result of the activities of Boko Haram. We were celebrating in our inner recesses, with bubbling assurances that our candidate would use his perceived network and influence to give us succour and respite. Once the legal fireworks started, we looked back to see where our candidate was seated in the courtroom, alas! he has capitulated. He practically sneaked out and the next time we heard of him was in Dubai, in the comfort of his home.
We were downcast but not out. We were sullen but not defeated. We raised queries as to the propriety of his sudden exit. We were told he had to escape because of threats of frame up. As loyal troops, we were still undaunted in our resolve to ensure that we kept the fire burning. I was one.of those who kept hope alive through television and radio appearances and articles in newspapers. Since our leader had eloped to far away Dubai, exposing us to the vagaries of APC crushing machine, it was difficult to reach him and draw strength from his stature. Days after days, we were at the tribunal, to give hope to an aspiration without the aspirànt. While we reported at the court rooms, often times with empty stomachs, to sustain the struggle to reclaim our stolen mandate, the man who epitomized our collective sufferance in that 2019 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was enjoying the fragrance and sweet smell of continental dishes in far away City of Dubai. We were like a ship without a rudder. We agonize in our cocoons, without a thank you.
Tribunal was over and the verdict was given. We lost. With frowns on our faces, we looked up to anyone for succour, but we NEVER saw our candidate. Off season, we went back to our different places of work to prepare for another day. After two years of sojourn in Dubai, and perceiving the smell of the commencement of political foot-works, our principal suddenly emerged from the blues. He wants to contest another election. Not oblivious of the scar of neglect that still hurts our hearts, he wrote to us reminding us of our collective struggle, a struggle that he never participated in. He decorated us with borrowed robes, used sweet sounding words to massage our ego, and like a typical politician, wanted us to take those words as ice-cream to quench our appetite. He wants to run for election. As simple as that. Where did he leave us in our previous engagement? He abandoned us in the war front and told us to find our way home, while he escaped to his own comfort zone. Isn’t that a selfish, self serving and egocentric decision to make?
This time, the oscillation of his political pendulum is against the run of play. It is the turn of the Southern part of Nigeria to produce a president of Nigeria after the incumbent would be completing a run of 8years. His praise singers said it is strategic to present him because they want power at all cost. Some say they would go naked if it doesn’t happen. Yet, some said on account of his age, he should allow younger elements from the South to take their turn. He can muster his influence around such a person and create bigger opportunity for the PDP to win, if he won’t run away again to Dubai or Morocco this time. They told us he went for further studies to prepare for a stronger mentality to confront the challenges of governance. If he had won, is that how he would abandon us to seek further studies? He went for further studies and abandoned us all to our individual and collective fate.
My demand is very simple and unambiguous. You may not quarel with his age, but what about the age of his ideas? At 79, president Buhari, the master of grazing routes, honestly declared that working 6 to 8 hours daily was no joke. That is human emanations for you. You cannot cheat nature. The bones have aged and require more rest than work. The Aso Villa should not be a retirement home for the fatigued, ageing and aged. It should be a laboratory of ideas that would help to proffer far-reaching solutions to our hydra-headed problems in Nigeria. In a plural society like Nigeria, you need to balance the political sentiments and emotions of all nation-states in order to strike at the equilibrium that would guarantee stability of the polity. The South deserves to present its candidate that would step forward as the PDP flag-bearer. You cannot use strategy and pretenses to deny the South its opportunity at this turn. You cannot use injustice to sustain injustice.
I am aware that some of you supporters of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for pecuniary interest, have been told to let loose your fangs on me. Your name calling and insults strengthen my resolve as my eyes remain focussed on the ball. My political binoculars is not picking the image of Alhaji Atiku for the 2023 presidential contest. It is time to call it quit. Leaders must always be conscious and cautious of their exit strategy. It should not always be about self interest, but more about interest common to all. Within the PDP family, it should show cause for justice, equity and fairness, rather than be blinded by stomach infrastructure to deny the South of Nigeria its own opportunity. Therefore, as supporters, take the message to town that this is the turn of the South, for political balancing and equity. We should be bold to say so without equivocation. We should decently and politely tell our 2019 candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to support the quest for Southern candidate. That is the expectation. If by accident of history he emerges as the candidate against the run of play, he would abandon us mid-stream again to Dubai in continuation of the rollercoaster. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine.