|
My Advice To Atiku By Ihas Idriess
I will be economical with the truth if for any reason I say today, I pity Atiku in his elections ordeal, I am very happy that today Atiku is testing his own medicine. Even though I condemn in no uncertain terms the charade organized by INEC, I still find it difficult to sympathize with Atiku. Prior to the formation of PDP, Atiku Abubakar was one of the leaders of General Musa Yar’adua’s PDM, where he has widely and universally gained notoriety as the party’s “Master Rigger”. It was his proficiency in the act of election rigging and mastermind of political intrigue, and his natural spending spree that endeared him to Obasanjo and the PDP. Little wonder then that Obasanjo took him on as his running mate, even after knowing fully well the fact that Atiku had already won? or Rigged? the 1999 Adamawa State gubernatorial elections.
Atiku’s rigging prowess came to the national and international reckoning in 2003 when he spearheaded the gang that went on the fraud spree from state to state in the federation fixing the elections that ensures the return of the brutal government of Obasanjo to power. Few years later his blatant hunger and greed to ascend to the number one seat, and Obasanjo’s menacing dream to be a Life President threw the political cronies apart. This was indeed among the greatest blessing to Nigeria and Nigerians; imagine another 8years under Atiku after Obasanjo, only God knows what will have become of Nigeria. The pair became heated enemies. Hitherto, Atiku has been so supportive and loyal to Obasanjo; it went to the extend that, he was once reported to have described himself as the ‘Handbag of Obasanjo’.
Seeing Atiku un-ashamedly sitting shoulder to shoulder with Buhari in the name of opposition irk me no end, the sight is really disgusting. I find it really hard to fathom what Buhari must be thinking sitting with Atiku on the same podium addressing Nigerians on election fraud, in fact to me I see it as an insult to the entire countries populace, who are yarning for true democracy, for Atiku Abubakar has no business what so ever being in the Aso rock in the first place after 2003 election, if not for his help in masterminding the stealing of Buhari’s mandate. Obj/Atk era has officially ended in 2003, when Nigerians came out in their millions and voted them out, both of them today were suppose to be behind bars serving different jail terms, for crimes they committed from 1999-2003 in running the government, this each and every Nigerian is fully aware. So for Atiku to claim being rigged is no issue at all, for once he and his erstwhile boss are not even suppose to be outside, not to talk of contesting the elections at all.
But it is indeed disheartening that to date we are yet to, as a nation able to hold a free and fair elections, not that I support the charade that took place tagged ‘election 2007’ but the rigging without a doubt started right from the primaries of the different political parties, none!, I repeat none! of the political parties conducted a free and fair primaries from State House of Assemblies to Governors up to the Presidential primaries of the parties, you hear of the dense thing as ‘consensus candidates’, or ‘agreed candidates’, with aggrieved aspirants junketing from one platform or party to another. Right from that period it was obvious that the elections can not and will not be free and fair.
All those now crying foul today are all but product of corrupt, dubious and rigged primaries, they all have in one way or the other used the method being dished out to them on others, and given the chance they will perpetuate it on Nigeria as a whole, so their calls for mass action and what have you is more or less a baloney as they all do not posses any credible democratic credentials that will make Nigerians heed to their calls, and this Nigerians and above all the PDP led government knows fully well.
But in all this scenario the bunkum among the so called today’s champions of democracy is Atiku Abubakar, for his name is synonymous with rigging, so his featuring in the circle of opposition is eroding the more the groups dwindling credibility as we all know Atiku can not come a thousand miles close to a free and fair election, so my advice to the opposition is to do away with him as soon as possible and to Atiku himself, my advice is for him is to retire to any sanctuary and help fight against the year 2011 election fraud by any government; HOW?, well with his dept of knowledge in the act of rigging, he should come out clean and document in a book form of as many volumes as possible what really transpired during 2003 elections and before, how was the rigging planned, what and what state apparatus were used to achieve success, who and who played what role in actualizing the rigging that returned them to power and above all how can it be tackled by the ordinary Nigerians
He should used his printing press to mass produce the books and donate it to libraries across the country, equally he should dedicate the rest of his life organizing and delivering lectures on how election rigging is planned, executed, the possible collaborators and how it should be tackled, eradicated and stopped, he should give practical examples with himself and the 2003 elections to drive home points.
If Atiku should consider this, then I believe Nigerians will forgive him of all his sins of the 2003 elections, and also Nigerians and the youth in particular will be armed with the knowledge of how, who and when rigging is perpetuated during elections and will be able to guide against it. Sometimes last year Atiku was reported to have said after his presidency, he will retire to lecture in his university, well the opportunity has come really- really soon, rather than waiting for 8year to achieve his ambition of lecturing only in his university, Atiku should now embark on this noble course of lecturing all over Nigeria.
Atiku might be too busy with court cases and nursing his injured leg to read this piece, but I hope his aides especially Garba Shehu will do and I pray may Allah give them the guts and courage to convey this proposal to Atiku and convince him that it’s all over for him and this is just the way forward for him.
|