Tinubu To Atiku: Gather Your Evidence, Go To Court And Stop Disturbing Abuja Residents
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed TinubuThe President-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has asked the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his party to concentrate on gathering more evidence to be presented at the Electoral Tribunal instead of disturbing the residents of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with what he called “skelewu” dance.
‘Skelewu’ is a title of song and dance by Nigerian music act, Davido. Atiku and the leadership of the PDP, today, March 6, staged protest to the Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), wearing black uniform.
Tinubu wondered why Atiku and his team would not start gathering evidence to present before the Election Tribunal, but resorted to dancing ‘skelewu,’ and constituting traffic nuisance to residents of Abuja on their way to work.
In a statement by director, Media and Publicity, of the APC presidential campaign council, Bayo Onanuga, the President-elect regretted that the former vice president of Nigeria who is supposed to be a statesman and a presidential candidate appeared to be so jobless to the extent of having time to disturb public peace over an electoral outcome he had already gone to court to challenge.
“When the defeated Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar told the whole world last week that he would seek redress in court over the outcome of the 25 February Presidential election, little did we know that he did not plan to be guided by his own promise.
“Going by his political antecedents, it was rather not surprising that Atiku, days later, led a band of protesters, nay jesters in Abuja, to the Headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
“What was on display today by Alhaji Atiku and his motley crowd was a new low from the perennial election loser.
“With Atiku staging a theatre of the absurd, we fail to see how a march to INEC by a scanty crowd will provide any victory window for him and his fragmented PDP. The only recourse open to Atiku after the electoral umpire declared Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the President-elect, is the Election Petition Tribunal.”
He asked Atiku and others to stop the “skelewu dance, saying: “instead of Atiku and his party to wisely spend their time to gather the so-called evidence they hope to present before the courts, they are busy dancing ‘skelewu’ on the streets and causing traffic nuisance to residents of the Federal Capital Territory who were going to work on a Monday morning.
“We don’t expect a former Vice President of Nigeria, a statesman and a Presidential candidate to be so jobless as to have time to disturb public peace over an electoral outcome he had already said he would challenge in court.
“We want to admonish Alhaji Atiku to respect his age and the high office of the Vice Presidency of Nigeria he once occupied. He should stop being teleguided by Dino Melaye, who disclosed scandalously that N400 billion was wasted on the election, which was clear at the outset that Atiku was bound to lose.
“Atiku should avoid being misdirected by other court jesters in his party, who continued to campaign after the election, still spewing their inanities against the President-elect. They are mere comic characters in a travelling theatre group.”
Tinubu reminded Atiku that INEC headquarters is not a court where his prayers can be answered.
“No amount of theatrical display will give him succour. The honourable and lawful path to take is for Atiku to get his lawyers to plead his case in court. He should stop throwing tantrums like a baby whose candy was taken away over an election he clearly lost due to his own poor judgment; mismanagement of his own party and violation of power rotational arrangement between the North and the South.
“The PDP presidential candidate dug his own grave, in his last election and, absurdly, he is trying to rewrite the script of his own utter failure.
“We wonder how Atiku and his party hoped to win, when he himself admitted that Peter Obi, his running mate in 2019, ran away with traditional PDP votes from the South-East and South-South.
“It is preposterous that while Atiku is disturbing public peace, chanting phantom electoral victory, Peter Obi is making same claim. We think both men have embarrassed themselves enough and it is time they both resolved who between them is the supposed winner that will challenge our party’s victory in court.
“Finally, we advise Atiku to retire honourably from politics and move to his abode in Dubai. At 77 in November, Atiku does not have age on his side again. He has participated in his last election and hopefully, he has learnt worthy lessons, never to place his selfish interest above party and established principles in his party and the polity.”
In Search Of A Nigeria That Works For All, By Fredrick Nwabufo
The place of leadership in forging bonds of communality is the place of purpose and deliberateness. The leadership must be very deliberate in managing diversity and in fostering kinship among variegated people.
Nation building cannot be left to chance or to the whim of anyone. There must be purposive plans and actions towards uniting the people.
We cannot play possum about unity – most especially now. It has remained a reverie, and an elusive expedition for Nigeria. We yearn for it, or rather quibble about it, but we have not really applied ourselves to dismantling the iron curtains of ethnicity and religion.
As a matter of fact, it is a sheer pursuit of apparitions to assume or suggest that any single leader can unite Nigeria without the commensurate efforts of citizens to the cause. To unite Nigeria, there is a place for leadership, and there is a place for followership. Uniting Nigeria will involve Nigerians from all strata.
The place of leadership in achieving unity in Nigeria is the place of personal example. Leadership by deed not just by words. The leadership demonstrating the highest level of objectivity, fairness, and probity in dealing with Nigerians regardless of religious or political persuasion or ethnic background. The leadership showing sufficient inoculation against the contagion of religious and ethnic bigotry and exclusivism.
Where the leadership betrays prejudices, the followership sunders. The leadership is doomed to be assailed by a phalanx of discontents when it ignores the elements of inclusion.
This is the reason I applaud Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first step as president-elect. In his acceptance speech, he gave away his bent and predisposition to bringing sundered people together. The focality of his speech was ‘’Whether you are Batified, Atikulated, Obidient, Kwankwasiyya, or have any other political affiliation, you voted for a better, more hopeful nation and I thank you for your participation and dedication to our democracy. You decided to place your trust in the democratic vision of a Nigeria founded on shared prosperity and one nurtured by the ideals of unity, justice, peace, and tolerance. Renewed hope has dawned in Nigeria.’’
Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, said Tinubu set up a committee to meet with presidential candidates for reconciliation. Really, he does not have to, but for a president who wants to build consensus among the people; he is embracing his opponents. This is good sportsmanship. I believe this opens a window into the mentation of Nigeria’s president-elect. It says Tinubu will run an all-inclusive government – a government of national unity.
It is against this background that I consider the hostilities from Peter Obi, the Labour Party, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite the efforts at rapprochement by Tinubu as ill-advised. I wish Peter Obi would listen to wise counsel and not go down this scorched path. The election is done. There is nothing to be had on this path, but animosity, isolation, and tension. It is time for reconciliation and working together for Nigeria.
For his first shot at the top job, Peter Obi’s performance in the 2023 presidential election is commendable and a learning curve. But it was clear he had no chance of winning the election. He did not secure 25% of votes in 25 states and did not garner enough popular votes. I believe it will be more historic if Obi extends a hand of fellowship to the president-elect than chasing apparitions and chest thumping while at it.
If his pursuit for power is in the public interest, he must look beyond himself, and seek to support the next government for the good of Nigerians he professes to love. A Nigeria that works for all is what we need.
Tinubu has shown that he is of the nationalist phylum but with a surfeit of understanding of the imperativeness of building of a nation on the back of consensual support, and responsibility. He must stay on this path. It will get rocky, but he must maintain equal oomph even when his efforts are unrequited.
A Nigeria that works for all is what we need.
Uniting Nigeria will need more than the ‘’body language’’ of the leadership. It will take deliberate effort, personal example, and a clear strategy. Uniting Nigeria will be hard labour, but it is a task that must be done.
Nwabufo, aka Mr. OneNigeria is a media executive.