Alhaji Atiku AbubakarWhen the former Nigeria Vice President, Atiku Abubakar announced his return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday, December 3rd, I didn’t know whether to laugh for his ingenuity and consistency in searching for platform to become President, or cry for his consistency in changing political party as he changes his caps.
Atiku is consistently creating credibility problem for himself and, by that, embarrassing his supporters across the country.
As a matter of fact, it is not his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) a fortnight ago that is the issue here. If he had joined a political party other than the PDP, perhaps, he would have made some points even if they are not so clear to political analysts.
This was a man, who swore on March 10, 2015 that nothing would make him to return to the PDP, saying: “not even in my dream will I return to PDP.”
In a statement that day, December 10, 2015, reacting to reports in a section of the media of his purported return to the fold of the PDP, Atiku said that he would never leave APC for any reason.
“I remain irrevocably committed to the APC,” he swore, describing his purported return to the PDP or any other party as the handiwork of mischief makers focused on pitching him against other leaders of the then opposition APC.
Atiku said that for the avoidance of doubt, he was unequivocally committed to the unity of APC and that it would take more than the antics of mischief makers to break that bond.
“I have backed my words and commitment with my resources to ensure that I bring my influence and support to bear on our party’s march to victory at all levels in the general election. That should be enough to shut up mischief makers bent on derailing the APC’s success at the March 28 and April elections.”
I have quoted him extensively in order not to leave anyone searching for excuses to refute his words or he, referring to me, a neutral political observer cum commentator, as mischief maker.
The way Atiku is going about his ambition to lead this country in a more obsessive way, shows clearly how he either has lost the sense of the history or how his handlers have simply found a lucrative way of milking the enormous wealth he is in control of.
Talking about history, Atiku had once left the same PDP to align with the then Alliance for Democracy (AD) in his usual search for political platform to contest the Presidency, and when he could not make it, he returned to the PDP. In a build-up to the 2015 election, he also spare-headed the formation of New PDP, which later fuse into the grand alliance that snowballed into the APC. By the historical facts, one is not in doubt that Atiku has no permanent friend or more appropriately, confirmed political party, but a permanent interest of becoming the President of the country.
And talking about his handlers, it is obvious that they read him very well and are always on the look out for the best way of exploiting what looks like his weak point – vaulting ambition.
The handlers are always around to drum it to his ears that he is the best President Nigeria must have. Once he falls into that trap, they gather around him to make their millions. But the sad thing about it is that at the end of the day, the handlers hardly deliver, going by what happened in the past.
Atiku, this time, seems to have boxed himself into a tight political corner, because, some leaders in the PDP are obviously suspicious of him: they cannot trust him again. Some of them are already thinking that he is being planted in the party to cause confusion and make easy way for the APC Presidential candidate, likely to the President Muhammadu Buhari, to win the 2019 election.
The dilemma is that even the APC from where he had resigned, are feeling relieved of his act of breathing down their necks, wanting to be carried along in a way that he would be anointed as the next President.
In all honesty, even his avid supporters are confused and, like I said, embarrassed by what my grand son would say jumping-jumping.
Of course, my concern about Atiku’s resignation from the APC and his return to the PDP is not whether he will eventually become the PDP Presidential candidate, going forward, for, that is his absolute right. My concern is the way he has started his campaign, attacking persons and the party he was coming from.
What Nigerians want to be hearing from him, as a matter of priority, are things he will do differently to tackle the economy, corruption, security, food production, education, health, infrastructural development, Political stability, foreign affairs and myriad of other socio-economic challenges facing the country.
It never really makes any difference if he had never in his life visited America and whether President Buhari had never visited America. It doesn’t matter really if the APC and President Buhari have performed dismally in all the sectors of the nation’s life. What matters as far as he is the one talking, is how his Presidency will bring about an Eldorado.
And so, even if Atiku was dreaming, he couldn’t have sleep-walk into PDP, going by his promise. But, since he had walked back into the PDP which he roundly vilified a couple of years ago, he has to look fresh and productive even in the way he addresses the challenges facing the country. We have heard all that he has been saying about the APC and President Buhari from him, against PDP and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, when he was crossing over to the APC in 2014.
He needs to CHANGE from the over-beaten track.[myad]
