By Sam Ekpe
IN the next few months, the campaign for the 2019 Presidential election will commence. Already, there are moves by many politicians to forge alliances with various groups across the country, all aimed at ensuring that they find a place of reckoning in 2019, as every good politician seeks to be relevant at all times.
A recurring decimal in the political history and development of Nigeria since the Third Republic is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Turaki Adamawa. Politicians can only ignore him at their peril. He became involved in politics in the early 1980s when he worked closely behind the scenes during the Governorship Campaign of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who was then the General Manager of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). He had canvassed for votes on behalf of Tukur and also donated to the Campaign. Towards the end of his career in the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), he met Alhaji Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who had been second in command in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration (1976-1979). He had been so involved in the political activities of the Yar’Adua Group that in 1989, he was elected National Vice-Chairman of the Peoples Front of Nigeria (PFN) which participated in the transition programme initiated by the then Military President, Ibrahim Babangida.
The influential politician won a seat to represent his constituency at the 1989 Constituent Assembly. When the Peoples Front was denied registration, as were all the other groups then, he found a place within the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and became a dominant force in the party. He won the SDP primaries for the new Adamawa State Governorship Election but was disqualified from contesting the epoll. When his friend and political mentor Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was disqualified in 1992 from the SDP presidential primary, Yar’Adua pushed him forward as their group’s standard bearer. In the Convention Primary, Atiku came third behind M.K.O Abiola and Babagana Kingibe, and a run off was to be held between the first two candidates. Atiku stepped down for Abiola and directed his supporters to vote for M.K.O, on the understanding that he would be picked to be M.K.O’s runner mate. Eventually, this hope was dashed
In 1998, he won the Governorship Election of Adamawa State under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but before he could be sworn in, he was picked by the then presidential candidate of the party, Olusegun Obasanjo, to be his running mate. He was sworn in as Vice President of Nigeria on 29th May, 1999 and served for two terms, until 2007, with President Obasanjo.
In the build up to the PDP Primaries for the 2003 Presidential Election, he was so influential within the party that, with the support of the PDP Governors, he could have easily defeated the President but agreed to support the President at the last minute after Baba was alleged to have kowtowed to him. President Obasanjo never forgave him for this humiliation and he has since then thrown his weight around to frustrate any move of the Turaki Adamawa to become the President of Nigeria.
It has become public knowledge that the main disagreement between the two top citizens was President Obasanjo’s moves to perpetuate himself in office.
Since then the Turaki has been contesting for the Presidency of Nigeria under different political platforms – 2007 Action Congress (AC), lost to late President Yar’Adua; 2011 PDP Primaries, lost to President Jonathan; 2015 All Peoples Congress (APC), lost at the Primaries to President Muhammadu Buhari. It is, therefore, clear to any discerning observer or analyst that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has the same ambition, aspiration and interest in leading the nation as Muhammadu Buhari who tried on four attempts – 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 and was only successful in 2015. The question now arises: Will Atiku Abubakar succeed in his 5th attempt, after his failures in 1993, 2007, 2011 and 2015?
There is no doubt that he is a tried and tested heavyweight in the Nigerian political firmament, having seen and experienced it all since 1983. He is a middle of the road politician and not fanatical on any issue. A bridge builder with many supporters and admirers in all the geopolitical zones of the country, he, like the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, has solid structures on the ground that can ensure the mobilization of people and votes at the shortest notice.
Unlike many political leaders of Northern extraction, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is a vocal advocate of the importance of education in a country’s socio-economic development. He demonstrated this in his establishment of American University of Nigeria (AUN), the first American style university in sub-Saharan Africa.
In the present debate on the political future of Nigeria, the Turaki has stood up to be counted. Even though it is anathema for any politician from the far Northern Region of Nigeria to support ‘Restructuring’, a recipe for devolving power from the centre to the constituent states, Atiku Abubakar has been vocal in his support for True Federalism and has been delivering speeches all over the country, stressing the need to restructure the country. In one of his more recent analysis of the Nigerian situation, he criticized his
“Northern people” for being responsible for their backwardness, citing as example that despite the fact that Ndigbo lost virtually everything during the civil war of 1967-1970, they had since re-established themselves in commerce and industry in Nigeria while the people of the North had remained backward. He is of the view that our current arrangement is a unitary Federalism which was a creation of prolonged military rule and that every part of the country should take charge of its resources while the Federal Government should handle Defence, Foreign Affairs and Immigration, among other items on the Exclusive Legislative List. He believes that political decentralization will help to deepen and strengthen our democracy as it will encourage more accountability. He also considers that True Federalism will encourage states to compete to attract investments and skilled workers than merely waiting for monthly revenue allocation from Abuja.
Muhammadu Buhari won the Presidency after many attempts. He came with a huge bag of positives but his administration has left many questions unanswered, especially on the battle against corruption. With his tremendous goodwill and general acceptance in the North Central, South South and South East geopolitical zones, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has the best opportunity to make a breakthrough in 2019. Is the time not ripe for the Turaki Adamawa to steer the ship of the Nigerian state which has since shown signs of wrecking?
Since it is now clear that all that glitters is not gold and that the hood does not make the monk, is it not imperative that Nigerians look elsewhere for their salvation? With the solid background of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in government and his actions, views and consensus building style of politics, shouldn’t the Nigerian Electorate give him a chance in 2019? Maybe Atiku and the Nigerian electorate will get it right this time and a leader from Northern Nigeria with progressive credentials, sound knowledge of the Nigerian people and politics, and a vision for the unity of the country will emerge. The present situation in which an entire geopolitical zone is excluded from government is definitely not ideal.
Ekpe writes from Abuja.