By Tunde Joshua, Isaac Olamikan, Charles Onyekwere
For a second consecutive time, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at the weekend picked the presidential ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at a keenly contested primary of the main opposition political grouping in Abuja.
He polled 371 votes to beat his closest rival, Nyesom Wike who scored 237 while Bukola Saraki came a distant third with 70 votes. Emmanuel Udom polled 38 votes, Bala Mohammed 20, Anyim Pius Anyim 14 while both Sam Ohuambuwa and Tariella Diana Olivier scored one vote each. Ayo Fayose and Dele Momodu got none, The Trumpet gathered.
Atiku’s victory, no doubt, will give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) an opportunity to explore options for fixing the debacle of its presidential ticket. It is believed that APC’s choices will now be narrowed to two. One is to search for a credible northern candidate out of its aspirants who can split area’s votes with Atiku to prevent PDP from unseating the ruling party.
This is where the consideration for Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello may come in. Coming from the Northeast as Atiku and being a northerner with wide political connections by virtue of his parliamentary position and experience, Lawan may be a better choice for the party.
Bello is from North Central. On the other hand, APC leadership may be constrained to search for someone with a deep pocket and financial muscle who can match Atiku.
This is where Asiwaju Bola Tinubu comes in. However, with federal financial support, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Nigerian Governors Forum Chairman Dr. Kayode Fayemi can also successfully challenge Atiku. Supporters of the former Lagos State governor and APC national leader responded positively to results of the PDP presidential primary.
They said this gives them hope that the APC leadership has no choice than to allow a free contest which will throw up Tinubu. They believe he is the only one out of APC’s 28 aspirants that can match Atiku’s influence and financial war chest for a keen contest. Tinubu, himself expressed this belief in his congratulatory message to Atiku by welcoming the former Vice President to a contest for the nation’s most exalted political office in 2023.
Tinubu commended Atiku for his patriotism and commitment to Nigeria’s progress. He also congratulated the other contestants for the orderly and peaceful way they conducted themselves and for pledging to rally round the winner, in the true spirit of democratic sportsmanship.
The APC national leader said Atiku’s victory didn’t come as a surprise to Nigerians because of his vast experience as a statesman and veteran of many presidential contests from 1993.
A statement by Bayo Onanuga , Director, Media & Communication, Tinubu Campaign Organisation said the APC hopeful expected Atiku “to be his worthy opponent, by the Grace of God and the support of APC delegates, in the coming 2023 President election.
“I welcome the victory of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the just concluded primary. I look forward to squaring up with him as a worthy opponent in the coming election.
I have known the former Vice President as a formidable politician and a patriot who believes in the unity and progress of our dear country.”
Tinubu added that the coming election should be about issues that will improve the quality of life of Nigerians; bring peace, progress, political stability and solve myriads of sociopolitical challenges and insecurity facing the country.
However, it is believed the the 2023 presidential race will be among candidates of APC, PDP, the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). It is expected that the Labour Party (LP) which is the arrowhead of the third force movement will field former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi.
Obi who until last Wednesday was one of the PDP leading aspirants dumped the party to pitch his tent with LP under which parties like the SDP, ADC and labour unions are subsumed.
Also, a former governor of Kano State, Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso, will run on the platform of his New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). It was learnt that Kwankwaso’s strong presidential aspiration aborted the alliance talks the party had with Peter Obi immediately after the latter left PDP.
Obi was said to have rejected Kwankwaso’s vice presidential offer, hence, his decision to join the Labour Party on Friday. Meanwhile, Atiku in his acceptance speech said history was made by his victory because it laid the foundation that will bring about fundamental changes in governance and political process.
“It marks another milestone in the process to consolidate our democratic gains,” he said. If elected president, Atiku promised to unify Nigerians and Nigeria, alleging that the APC government under President Muhammadu Buhari has disunited the country and her citizens completely. He added that his administration will confront all economic challenges facing the country by reversing every antipeople economic policies and programmes of APC government.
Atiku called for support from other contestants in his campaign processes, urging them that the party’s interest should be paramount at this time.
He promised to give them sense of belonging in the PDP government to be formed in 2023. He commended the party leadership, particularly, the National Convention Organizing Committee headed by Senator David Mark for a transparent election process.
But apex Igbo sociopolitical organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has said Atiku will never become Nigeria’s president. Ohanaez denounced the PDP primary that produced Atiku as an “erratic and corrupt process that was overseen by the unpatriotic Northerners against the Southern part of the country.”
Ohanaeze SecretaryGeneral, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, stressed that the Igbo would rise up against Atiku and his campaign rejected in the South-East. He noted that the PDP had been reduced to a Northern party. In a statement, Isiguzoro lamented that the Igbo were schemed out of the PDP presidential primaries.
He said: “It’s amusing that PDP is now a political party for the Northern region, with Dr. Iyorcha Ayu as PDP Chairman, Walid Jubril as BOT Chairman and Atiku Abubakar as 2023 PDP Presidential candidate.
“PDP has fulfilled her threats to sideline the Igbo in 2023 and we will carefully answer them back. Another Northerner, Senator David Mark supervised the process that schemed out Igbo from PDP.
The consequences of the 2022 PDP convention will be a discontinuity of milking of Igbo votes by a party that butchered the Igbo’s dream. “We are waiting for the APC presidential primary to take the final decision on whether or not Igbos will participate in the 2023 elections.
“Atiku Abubakar will be opposed in the South-East, and no Igbo is anticipated to champion or project Atiku Presidency in the East. Nobody is going to take the risk of campaigning for Atiku in the East since the PDP is now a regional northern political party. Atiku will not have Igbo support in 2023, he cannot be the President of Nigeria in 2023.
“Ndigbo will rise against PDP and Atiku Abubakar as a price for PDP’s ingratitude and dishonesty against Igbo.” A brazen AFFRONT to southern Nigeria Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum described Atiku’s emergence as a brazen affront on the people of Southern Nigeria by the PDP.
It said: “SMBLF recalls that following the release of the guidelines for the 2023 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Elders and Leaders of Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, under the aegis of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum, made unequivocal proclamations on the need for the presidency to be devolved to Southern Nigeria in 2023, in respect of the timehonoured practice of the rotation and zoning of high political offices between the North and the South by political parties as a way of strengthening national unity, peace and harmony.
“SMBLF further recalls that several engagements were held with various stakeholders across the length and breadth of the country on the subject to foster understanding, mutual respect, and oneness.
The 17 Southern Governors also in a declaration after their meeting in Asaba, Delta State, in May 2021, backed the rotation of the presidency to the South in 2023.
“Sadly, it appears the unity and peace of Nigeria mean little or nothing to a segment of the nation’s political elite. This was evidenced in the PDP special convention, which was held on Saturday, 28th May 2022, where certain candidates from the North were pressured, coerced, and even intimidated to step down for former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who eventually emerged as the flag bearer of PDP, in utter derision of the established principle of zoning and rotation of power between the north and south.
“Undoubtedly, the singular motive is to perpetuate the hegemony of the North given that President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the North and of Fulani origin will be completing his full tenure of eight years by this time next year.
“SMBLF, therefore, totally REJECTS the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and calls on our people of Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt as well as all true lovers of peace and unity NOT TO VOTE for him or any other Northerner in the 2023 Presidential election, in the interest of posterity.
“SMBLF further urges all aspirants for the office of President from Southern Nigeria to shun the conceited attitude of individualism and self-confidence, and work collectively to achieve the shared objectives. “Again, SMBLF calls on all politicians of Southern extraction to refuse the position of a running mate to any Northern Presidential candidate, which will equally be viewed as subjugating their people to political slavery.”
But a chieftain of PDP and a former governorship aspirant, Barrister Kenneth Imansuagbon, said Atiku’s emergence reaffirmed his nationwide acceptability to rescue Nigeria.
I m a n s u a n g b o n , who stated this in his congratulatory statement made available to newsmen in Benin City, appealed to Nigerians to queue behind the candidacy of Atiku to change the negative narrative of underdevelopment and economic woes.
Analyst welcomes Atiku’s win An observer, Mr. David Akata, an Urhobo from Delta State, remarked: “ It is difficult, if not impossible to see, let alone know the progressive agenda and ethos a man stands for when prejudice overrides objectivity.
The significant difference between Abubakar Atiku and several other Nigerians that were in public service is foresight and abiding faith While others made money and couldn’t identify opportunities of investment, Atiku who is a Fulani by birth but wired with Igbo business DNA was fortunate to identify opportunity at the formation of NICOTES when an Italian approached him with a business model to carry out logistics services for oil companies.
“Fortune smiles on people when they take advantage of opportunities and Atiku is no exception As for the purported and bogus tainted toga that exist only in the imagination of those who allude to the false narrative, including those who have been propagating the misleading falsehood, I am yet to read of any pending charges/ case of malfeasance brought against the former Vice President either in Nigeria or elsewhere.
“Atiku has no apology for being a billionaire just like Igbenidion, a former police man turned billionaire has none either Atiku’s only apology is his inability to expand his chains of businesses to accommodate more Nigerians as employees and stakeholders, because of the current administration’s hostile and anti- business policies.
“Finally, there is no basis of comparison between a man whose motivation to rule was driven by ethnic and religious consideration/ sentiments and a man whose progressive ideals made him to throw his hat into the presidential race ring in 1992, on the nudging of his political mentor.
“Atiku is not perfect but he is a democrat, nationalist, strong believer of a multi religious society, cosmopolitan and has a knack in identifying talents irrespective of tribe and religion. “Southern and Middle Forum? Is that a new political party?
Where was the Sourhern and Middle Belt forum when President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a Southerner and Christian subverted the power rotation arrangement in 2015 and stood for election when it was the turn of the north?
“Were members of this body haters of national unity and peace when they nudged Goodluck Jonathan on to utterly deride the established zoning principle of zoning and power rotation by standing for election again in 2019? Isn’t this strange posturing ironic given their previous position or it is just human duplicity?
“As the saying goes, he who comes to equity must come with clean hands The Southern PDP governors and delegates, as men and women of conscience fully appreciate and understand the enormity and gravity of Nigeria’s current drift into abyss. We shouldn’t forget so soon that it was Jonathan and Buhari administration that inflicted the tragedy upon the nation
“The Southern PDP Governors were resolute not to be clouded by mundane ethno-religious considerations as driving factors in picking a viable and courageous leader They’ve seen the capacity of someone who can confront these challenges in the person of Abubakar Atiku.
“Their decision to elect Atiku was neither driven by emotion, nor was Tambuwal timely and necessary decision to step down a product of coercion as presented in the false narrative Tambuwal and those Southern Governors decision was done for the sake of national interest.
“The antics by this group to further stoke division, instead of preaching national unity at this critical time speaks volume of their motives The last time I checked, Jonathan was President for six years but there was no sustainable project traceable to him in Urhobo and Isoko land as legacy. East-West road was uncompleted.
The ministry of Niger Delta suggested by Atiku to Yar’Adua became a conduit pipe for his kinsmen Jonathan administration had over 10 Deltans of Igbo extraction in various capacities while Urhobo and Isoko people were abandoned after warehousing over 1million votes for him.
“He made lots of Igbo overnight billionaires while our people were consigned to keke and okada riding. Warri port that could have spurred economic activities around the region was not given any attention.
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The 2nd Niger bridge that serves as linkage between Edo/Delta and the entire South East where our people travel frequently for commerce was commissioned on national television without corresponding milestone.
It took the intervention of Buhari administration to see the bridge at near completion stage and even went further to construct a road to Jonathan village “What then is the much trumpeted value of this Southern versus Northern President? Isn’t the north poorer under Buhari than at anytime in our history?
It is shameful and hypocritical for some Southern leaders to be grandstanding when they haven’t been able to question the source where Wike got the millions of dollars for the presidential primary.
“For a state that’s owing pensioners several months of unpaid pension, lacks mass housing, modern train tracks and networks and can’t boast of a ultramodern hospital that would reduce medical tourism bills, modern mass transit, whose state university can’t compete with those within the subregion, doesn’t offer free qualitative education, the Southern leaders should hide their faces in shame for their pretence.”
Another anonymous observer said: “In a free and fair election, Atiku will defeat any northern APC candidate for now. We shouldn’t forget how he almost defeated PMB in 2019 if not for Buhari’s INEC and Supreme Court.
Tambuwal has always played the ethnic card at the peak of it. Remember how he dealt with Jagaban and the Yoruba over Gbajabiamila and gave it to Dogara even when Jagaban and SouthWest APC denied their own Mulikat Akande and gave him the speakership.
Yet another analyst remarked: “In 2019, with Obi on the ballot as running mate to Atiku, the PDP garnered 1,693,485 votes (75 per cent) from the five states of the South-East; and 1,255,357 votes (27.5 per cent) from the North-East. “Conversely, the APC polled 403,968 votes (19 per cent) in the South-East and 3,238,783 votes (67.5 per cent) in the North-East.”
