The Obasanjo, Atiku Feud: The Real Lesson

By

thebridge builders

thebridgebuilders@yahoo.com

 

Future participants in politics should never make the mistake that vice president Atiku Abubakar made in the run up to the 2003 presidential election. He had President Obasanjo at a vantage position, Atiku had his hands everywhere, the economy, the party hierarchy and loyalty from a section of the Nigerian military. After practically bringing Obasanjo to his knees at the PDP primaries, he should have, as a matter of political expediency continue with the assault. Back then, the President would not have the political capital to annul or postpone the election, the state governors would have backed Atiku all the way and so will the party top hierarchy. Now the table has been turned, President Obasanjo has consolidated power and emasculated Atiku. Yet Atiku is still acting as though nothing has changed, he has gone on some forums to denounce a government of which he is a principal actor, suddenly he is a democrat and a promoter of justice, the only thing that he forgot was that if Obasanjo’s administration is inept and undemocratic, in the eyes of many Nigerians so is Atiku, they are in this boat together.

 

Unless some careful political analysis is made for VP Atiku, he may go down like many other prominent Nigerians who in their quest for power pitched their tent with the people too late. There is no reason for Atiku to continue to serve President Obasanjo while it is clear that the president is only waiting for the kill. The same reason applies to Joshua Dariye in Plateau, there is no reason fighting over a lost cause, President Obasanjo is not a democrat and he doesn’t pretend to be one, he is going to ignore the constitution and kick Dariye and possibly VP Atiku sooner than later.

 

Now don’t get me wrong, VP Atiku’s beef with President Obasanjo is quite different from Dariye’s. Dariye is a wanted man in the UK but shielded by Nigerian law, my grouse is, just like in the Alami case, if you must remove these guys please do so within the confines of the law. But the irony in Nigeria is that since most of our “leaders” hold the law in contempt there is hardly any recourse to justice in our country.

 

That VP Atiku’s aide continue to think that President Obasanjo will hand over to him is still a mystery to me, this man Obasanjo is not a democrat, he is very vindictive, remember he barely paid tribute to the man who gave his life for June 12, Bashorun Abiola over age long rivalry. Even if a one man, one vote strategy is adopted and the results announced in favour of Atiku, I still don’t see President Obasanjo handing over to him.

 

Now if I were an adviser to VP Atiku, I would tell him to re strategize, put his family on alert to forestall a clampdown by security agents, put his political action committee on a low profile, schedule an emergency world news conference, make sure Reuters, Associate press, BBC et al are all present, there and then announce your resignation to the entire world, stay away from insulting the person of President Obasanjo and particularly thank him for the opportunity to serve the nation together. Sign your resignation letter and give it to one of your aides for onward transmission to President Obasanjo and the national assembly. Immediately proceed to leave the country through any route best known to you. Before the presidency gets the time to react to your unexpected resignation you will be landing safely in a friendly territory. You will have achieved some few things by your surprise departure, first they will be rattled, second because it is an international press conference, President Obasanjo may have some decency left not to want to arrest you immediately on trumped up charges, that gives you a little lee way to make your escape of the country, on the other hand, since you will stay away from heaping insults on his person and his presidency, if he arrest you immediately after the conference, the cameras will still be rolling and the whole world will see how cruel of a man President Obasanjo is, Nigerians will most likely take to the streets on your behalf and the situation may spiral out of control.

 

In the event you are allowed a breathing space and make good an escape, now, you can plan your ascension clearly because surely President Obasanjo will meet his waterloo soonest and do not be surprised that his waterloo may come from the same group of people that have behind every failed government in Nigeria, Anthony Anenih, Jerry Gana et al, so while in exile, strategize and rebuild your political machinery. The things you have going for you is that even though people accuse you of being arrogant, its apparent that you are a people person and you have manage to do what most Nigerian leaders have been unable to achieve, you it seems have earned the loyalty of your subordinates and peers, you didn’t just demand it you were deemed fit of their loyalty and it was freely given to you. On the other hand, due to his vindictive nature and pettiness President Obasanjo has not been able to earn such a loyalty from people around him and hence he has resorted to intimidation, coercion and outright blackmail.

 

But in the event VP Atiku bucks this advice, let him know that the sword of Damocles is hanging over his head and it may come down sooner than later. If he doesn’t act fast, he will be consigned to the dustbin of history.

 

And to President Obasanjo no amount of intimidation and the continued emasculation of the judiciary will shield you from facing your waterloo, tyrants such as yourself always come to an ignominious end. If after what you have gone through in the hands of the late demagogic Abacha, you can still incarcerate people without trial, I wonder if you learn any lesson in captivity. But life’s lesson is dynamic, it will not stop with President Obasanjo’s ascension to the presidency and his annihilation of the people. Surely, the evil that men do will live after them, today it will also live with them, the hidden hand of providence will play its role and all those who have in one way or the other contributed to the present sorry state of Nigeria will surely have their days too.

 

This brings me to the issue of the gap toothed general, because of his guilty conscience in the annulment of the June 12 election, he made a case to Abdulsalami to release and subsequently pardon President Obasanjo, with the active connivance of people like Atiku, Obasanjo was installed as President, now, he is in minna, licking his wounds. This is just the beginning of his regrets if he doesn’t apologize to the Nigerian people and ask for their forgiveness, definitely nemesis is waiting around the corner.

 

The real lesson here is that, in politics just like in war, all is fair game, the Atiku’s of this world should not take anything for granted, the Obasanjo’s of this world should beware of the power of an oppressed, angry people, the babangida’s of this world should remember the seven letter word nemesis.