My attention as a public affairs commentator and citizen of Wukari in Taraba State, has been invited to various invectives of unprecedented dimension directed at His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio, by my brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, ostensibly to give oxygen to resurrect his endless political odyssey and sordid presidential ambition.
I am weighing into this public narrative to interrogate various disruptions triggered by some notable politicians like Atiku Abubakar in our national life.
It is hardly possible to build anything out of frustration and bitterness. This is sadly the predicament of a one-time Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who is on course to being enlisted in the Guinness Book of Records, as the only person globally, who has unsuccessfully contested for president for six times spanning 33 years.
This bitterness and frustration have beclouded his reasoning. Atiku Abubakar, who is shamefully a dominant mention in every page of the corruption history in Nigeria, could have rather used the Ramadan period to seek for the atonement of his many mortal and monumental sins from the Almighty Allah, but his engagement in chicanery and unbridled umbrage in the most malicious and defamatory manner is the sad characterization of a man reputed for low family values and child abuse.
The series of pernicious lies peddled by Atiku deserve response in this era of positive and innovative Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which has invited collective actions for the growth and prosperity of Nigeria.
Atiku Abubakar’s putrid and repulsive corrupt practices have made Nigerians to reject him for a record six times. A master of failure indeed!
It is an established fact that Atiku Abubakar is the most corrupt Nigerian, having been associated with every high-profile corruption allegation in the country, across the private and public sectors.
In 1996, the then Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha seized control of the NICOTES shares belonging to him and renamed it Integrated Logistics Services Incorporated. In 2006, Atiku was indicted by the EFCC and the Federal Government Administrative Panel of Inquiry after a special audit /forensic investigation of PTDF from 1999 to May 31, 2006. Internationally, he is known for his high profile corruption cases. Atiku’s association with American Congressman, William Jefferson, who was jailed for 13 years in 2009, over bribery and other charges is well known to millions of Nigerians.
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For those who don’t know, Atiku was the subject of a probe about 15 years ago by the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs chaired by Senator Carl Levin. He was indicted for using offshore companies to siphon about $40 million from Nigeria between 2000 and 2008 to his fourth wife in the United States, Jennifer Iwenjiora Douglas Abubakar (now divorced).
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom Atiku served for eight years as vice president, in his book ’My Watch’, in the chapter, titled: “Atiku and US Justice Entanglement,” gave a vivid account of “corrupt involvement” of Atiku with a company called iGATE and William Jefferson. Obasanjo equally linked Atiku to the embezzlement of $20 million, funds that were to be utilized by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), and another $125 million to fund PTDF during the 2003 fiscal year.
The immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has also spoken eloquently about Atiku’s corrupt adventure. In his book, “The Accidental Public Servant”, El-Rufai gave a detailed account of Atiku’s corrupt involvement in Ericsson’s deals, the PTDF scandal, Abuja Water Treatment Plant contract and his obsession with marabouts – the marabouts that have been deceiving him since 1991 that he will be president.
A serial women abuser, Atiku has divorced two of his wives since 1971 (Ladi and Jennifer). In the case of Jennifer, even after the divorce, he threatened and bullied her out of Nigeria. Jennifer had to sell her law chambers in Nigeria and relocated to the UK. He has been after the woman in an attempt to dispossess her of her assets and properties.
In the contrary, unlike Atiku Abubakar, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has for over two decades, conducted himself with integrity and transparency. His accomplishments in Akwa Ibom State, in particular, and Nigeria in general, are symbolized in the countless legacies of infrastructure, human capacity development and tourists’ hub.
Just on Tuesday, the Super Eagles of Nigeria hosted the Warriors of Zimbabwe in a World Cup qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo. The stadium, which is the only FIFA approved facility in Nigeria, was built by Akpabio as governor of the state. What did Atiku do for Adamawa state and Nigeria?
The Zimbabwean delegation also flew Ibom Air and landed at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo- all legacies of the uncommon transformer. But where are Atiku’s legacies for the people? He can only lay claim to a chain of businesses, which are products of pillaging and corrupt investments.
In all of these, it is crystal clear that Akpabio’s unflinching support for President Tinubu, who blocked Atiku’s emergence as the presidential candidate of the APC in 2015, and frustrated his return bid in 2019, and yet floored him in the 2023 general elections is the reason for Atiku’s hostile charge against the Senate President.
But using Akpabio as a ladder to get to the president cannot do Atiku any good. Both Tinubu and Akpabio are united by the resolve to rejig and reset the nation, and give Nigerians dividends of democracy, which Atiku as vice president worked tirelessly to undermine for personal aggrandizement.
It is also axiomatic that Atiku has started preparations for the 2027 general elections. As for Akpabio and Tinubu, they are preoccupied with state and governance issues and would not swim with the former vice president in his quest to distract the duo from delivering good governance to Nigerians. When 2027 comes, Nigerians will, for the umpteenth time give, Atiku a black eye and vote the best candidate.
Danjuma Isaiah writes from Wukari in Taraba State
