By 2027, when Atiku Abubakar is expectedly going to make what hopefully would be his last ditch effort at striking gold in the presidential election, he would have qualified for pensions in his career of the search, having spent 35 years looking for that slippery trophy. By now, Atiku Abubakar, the Waziri of Adamawa ought to know that destiny is everyman’s shadow, and it is always good to quickly understand your guardian angel, when the signs and symbols of ambition come knocking. After 35 straight years in search for the Golden Trophy in presidential contests, he need not be told that destiny is not his friend for this exalted office. Compare Atiku Abubakar’s acclaimed political “waziridry” to Asiwaju Tinubu’s calculated, scrupulous and strategic genius, at clinching the golden trophy at first try. By 2027, Atiku Abubakar would clock 80 also, DV. It is at that age that he wants to desirously alter the political algorithms of the North-South divide to pull the rug from under the feet of a Southern. How audacious! He wants to oust a presidency that would be entering its second term phase. In his delusion, he has set out too many unrealistic postulations, to advance and gather approbation for his objective.
Firstly, that he, a man who had sought this same office for 35 years would concede to spending one term only, setting us back.
Secondly, that Peter Obi would immediately succeed him thereafter, for eight solid years. This kind of talk would further widen the gulf between the North and South with respect to the number of years they’ve both spent in the power equation in this dispensation.
Nigerians cannot be deceived. There is no indication that anybody would get into the presidential office and agree to spend only four years, which by every estimation, are not enough to achieve anything tangible as footprints of their political ascendancy. Secondly, it is not the turn of the North to seek power; not after former President Buhari spent eight unbroken years on the stead.
Thirdly, it would be a thing of shame for Peter Obi to be jumping from one party to another in search of the presidency; not unless he has caught the Atiku bug.
Fourthly, the mood of the country supports the completion of a Southern term, before the North aspires to lead again. Indeed I am excited by the desire of the PDP to pull out of merger talks with smaller parties in the build up to the 2027 election, to stage a viable alternative to the APC.
Going it alone, as it concluded in its Ibadan meeting on Monday, 14th April 2025 is the wisest thing to do; even though the party has since been decimated by in-fighting and political fictionalization, that have left it a shadow of itself. Atiku Abubakar has his eyes on the coveted seat again, with a plot to go through the platform of the PDP. His plot may finally set the tone for the eclipse of the party for obvious reasons.
Atiku Abubakar’s ambition comes with its quirks; It will not only polarise the party further, and widen the schisms that exist within its fold, it would go on to accelerate implosion and explosion within and of the party.
Recall that in 2023, five Governors of the PDP, led by Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the FCT played the spoiler role for the party as a consequence of the party’s failure to stay true to her constitution on the issue of zoning. Atiku Abubakar, and the party’s apparati, working in cahoot with other dark elements railroaded the primaries in favour of himself, in defiance of its Article 7 of its own constitution.
In 2019, the party had allowed an all Northern aspirants to enable the zone to be compensated for its inability to even up the zoning arrangement earlier. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar emerged, and squared up against former President Buhari. After such a gentleman consideration, it was expected that in 2023, it would be the turn of the South within the party, to produce the presidential candidate but the party honchos twisted things again! Atiku Abubakar, with awkwardness came up and tumbled the chances and opportunity of the party.
Till date, the party has not been able to recover from its self-inflicted malady; Atiku has become the PDP’s albatross. It has become an endangered political amalgam struggling awkwardly to walk straight after its defeat in 2015, when former President Jonathan was ousted by popular votes. Since then, the centre has not held for the PDP. This is a party that once boasted of deepening its grip of the power rostrum for sixty years. The PDP has become a shadow of itself, and its present status as a factionalized party, has further compounded her chances of standing tall ever again.
From the feelers we are getting, Atiku Abubakar is warming up to worm his way to be the presidential flag bearer of the PDP once again, against all odds, to test the notion that Nigerians don’t want him as their president. That will mean three straight candidateship and flag bearing for him alone, when the attraction ought to be rotated between the North and South; talk about being selfish. Some elements within the PDP are already waiting in the wings to clip Atiku Abubakar’s wings when his moves become pellucid. At 80, he should be playing the role of an elder statesman to assist the nation to move up, should he have anything of value to offer. Either way, flying him again will be a litmus test for the party. Despite the challenges confronting the APC and the economy, a Tinubu presidency is assuredly a better option than whatever the Atiku has in store. The Tinubu presidency has made some inroads into recovering the economy.
The president has taken some bold steps to arrest drift and position the country on a stronger pedestal, through therapeutic interventions that have cushioned the impact of the subsidy removal. Assuredly, Nigeria is moving gradually on the path of enduring progress. Infrastructural renewal across the country is ongoing, ditto for huge investment in Agriculture, education, security architecture and welfare for the citizenry.
Now that the PDP has pulled out of the intended coalition, the gang up against a Tinubu second term is gradually collapsing like a pack of cards. Surely, the last has not been heard from the beleaguered PDP, but Nigerians will match their tactics.
From all available indices, the party is set for explosion and implosion. Unable to make a choice of its National Secretary, the party is actively becoming its own enemy. And the beauty of the reality is that, the inherent problems are not likely to abate any time soon.
While it is the right of anyone to seek public office as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, that of Atiku Abubakar’s has become a political handicap. Between him and the PDP, they should know when to call it quits, to retain the sanctity of their positions and existence as relevant.
It is often said that power intoxicates, and those who seek power are often blinded by its addictive properties. The outcome of the next election would place them on a detoxification and sobriety journey.
Atiku’s search for the Golden Trophy will surely elude him again, because he’s seeking for that exalted office, against the run of play. It is the turn of the South, and that should be sacrosanct.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Afegbua, former commissioner for information in Edo State, lives in Abuja.
