Is Atiku a Veritable Asset to PDP or Nigeria

Is Atiku a Veritable Asset to PDP or Nigeria's Democracy?

Musa Ilallah

Wonders, Nigerians always say, shall never end. This popularly saying among Nigerians says it all about the recent comments on Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria's strongest Vice President ever by one of his Adamawa home based politician, statesman and industrialist, Bamanga Tukur. Even though Tukur, a former civilian Governor of old Adamawa state during the NPN days in 1983 and former Federal Minister did not mince words in saying the truth about the worth of Atiku Abubakar in PDP's life in the country, he however erred by limiting the worth of Atiku to the PDP.

Tukur, who described Atiku as 'a veritable asset' to the PDP cautioned that as a founding member of the PDP, Atiku should not be allowed to slip-off the hands of the party. One can say without any fear of contradiction that having interacted with Atiku at both local and national levels, Tukur is not in doubt about the worth of Atiku to the fortunes of the party.

Indeed, Atiku is a veritable asset not only to the ruling PDP which he used his resources, goodwill and political dexterity but also the country's young democracy. He used his political clout to fight a sitting President like Olusegun Obasanjo in his life ambition of tenure elongation, alias third term to a complete defeat. Certainly Atiku's contribution to the survival of the country's democracy is enormous. He used legal approach to find a lasting solution to the evil manipulations by the powers that be in the choice of candidates for various elective positions in the PDP and other parties and also used the same approach to challenge undemocratic actions against him.

That legitimate and civil approach by Atiku gave others the confidence to challenge some sentimental decisions of their parties in the law courts, thus restoring the hope of the aggrieved in the country's judicial arm of government.

Today, Atiku's series of legal battles ranging from the PTDF saga, declaration of his seat vacant and his suspension from the party among others, have served as an eye opener to real democrats who would have rather resorted to violence to challenge certain undemocratic actions. In other words Atiku has helped in the stabilization of the country's polity, thereby making it more modern, civil and democratic. Even Tukur threw his weight behind the ambition of Atiku in 2006 to succeed President Obasanjo in office because as he puts it 'Atiku deserves the right to aspire to the highest office in the land. No one had the right to deny him this opportunity. This is guaranteed for him by the constitution'.

What is most interesting about Tukur's open and frank interview with the Press is that he was so blunt to the extent of saying that the crisis in the party especially in Adamawa state is the lack of the conduct of primaries to select its gubernatorial candidate in 2006. According to him, Nyako was certainly not the choice of the people but handpicked by Obasanjo and in summary that is why the state chapter of the party will know no peace for sometime to come. Nyako's anointment is therefore the source of the present crisis in PDP in the state.

Interestingly, the problem of PDP in Adamawa state is that the crisis is wrapped in nepotism, injustice and unfairness. The danger is that the party and by extension, the whole of the state is governed in the face of threats, fear and intimidation by amateur politicians on hapless and innocent citizens of the state.

In talking about amateur politicians fuelling the crisis in the state one does not need any soothsayer to tell him who the leader of this class of politicians is. Any Nigerian conversant with the politics of Adamawa state over the last six years will point at Senator Jubril Aminu as the man in question. You remember his hijack of the PDP membership card revalidation exercise which he headed and put under his armpit. Obasanjo used him to destabilize Atiku's stronghold on the party in the state and as a result destabilize the whole party. Adamawa PDP and its members are today paying the price of Obasanjo/Aminu's greed to uproot Atiku and his followers from the party, take it over and consequently unleash their mayhem of self centred agenda on the people.

Tukur must therefore be commended for his boldness to say the truth about Atiku's worth and the status of the state PDP. The country and the political class need more of him in order to understand and check the excesses of greedy politicians like Obasanjo, Nyako and Aminu. It is also interesting that Tukur has offered a way out of the present stand-off of the party and its members in the state. According to him 'unless injustices are addressed, no peace will come to the state.

Certainly, Tukur has spoken the minds of almost all democrats in the country. He spoke like a typical statesman and impartial umpire in the Nigerian political terrain.A

A word is enough for the wise.

A Communications Consultant, writes from Jabi, Abuja