The Sun News On-line

The dismal performance of Action Congress (AC) at the re-run governorship election in Adamawa, the home state of its national leader and former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, may be an indication of an end to the political mastery of the former number two citizen.

This was the view of outspoken Senator and National Vice Chairman of pro-North group, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Joseph Kennedy Waku, who said that with the outcome of the poll, where AC came second, Atiku has failed to prove that he still has a future in politics.

To him, Atiku’s commendation of the preparation and conduct of the election was a confirmation that the election was free and fair.
According to him, "it was a big surprise to me that in spite of the political mastery and arrogance, the former vice president shows around, he could be brought down to his knees even in his political base and home state.
"What that means, if you care to know, is that Atiku is finished politically and the result that was released was just the obituary announcement of his political career."

Waku contended that Atiku should have gone beyond bragging about his expected victory at the polls to getting all opposition parties in the state to support him and his party.
"I expected Atiku to have gotten other parties that went into the election to diminish AC’s chances to join him rather than resting on old glories to boast of victory in a highly competitive election that is so central to his political survival.

"The re-run election gave him an ample opportunity to prove that he is popular, and acceptable to his people, but he must have allowed ego to over ride simple approaches in politics.
"So, just as he said of Alliance for Democracy (AD) in 2003 that arrogance killed the party, I think also that political arrogance must have been responsible for the fall of Atiku in Adamawa’s politics.

Honestly, I feel for him because it is painful for someone of his status to have lost his political base," Waku stated. He commended President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration for its commitment to due process and rule of law, adding that the policy will only entrench democracy in the country after all.