Atiku on the right side of history

With just over three weeks until the February 25 presidential election, it has become crystal clear that People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and former Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007), Atiku Abubakar, stands far above the 17 other contestants. The Wazirin Adamawa has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of the Nigerian nation, capacity to deliver and empathy for the weak among us. Perhaps the clearest sign that Atiku is on his way to victory came, ironically, from the frustrations of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which culminated in his second outburst on as many occasions in Ogun State. It’s like every time the Asiwaju sees defeat staring them in the face, they go to Ogun State to reveal everything, through blackmail and intimidation. When he realized he was being eliminated from the APC presidential primaries, he went to Ogun to cry, insisting it was his turn to try for the presidency after 25 years of helping others.

It was clear blackmail, and it only got him the ticket because APC is an assembly of strange bedfellows, all thinking about their selfish interests and what they can gain from it. With the signs of another defeat becoming clearer to him, Tinubu hurried back to Ogun. He blames his unhappiness on the ongoing currency exchange and fuel scarcity imposed on Nigerians by his party. It was another blackmail aimed at Buhari. Unfortunately for Tinubu, however, the 2023 presidential election is no longer an APC affair.

Nigerians, not Buhari, hold the trump card in choosing the next president, and they seem to have shown their preference for Atiku due to his confidence and ability. The APC has not performed up to the expectations of Nigerians and therefore Nigerians cannot rely on the party going forward. Atiku, in a deft political move, chose Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate. It spelled the downfall of some people’s political careers, but they won’t go quietly. If anyone found it hard to understand why Atiku chose Okowa, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike’s childish response must have cleared all doubts. Despite Wike’s resort to providing a platform for his fellow recalcitrant governors, Atiku has refused to lose focus on the grand prize. His maturity in dealing with the so-called G5 governors, despite all the mud thrown at him, must have impressed even Wike himself and his fellow travelers. They just can’t understand how the Wazirin Adamawa keeps drawing crowds wherever he goes.

They face the stark reality that Atiku sails to victory despite their antics. They are now unsure what to do. Should they eat the humble pie by returning to the Atiku Project or postpone and become spectators during his presidency? The decision is theirs. Atiku is now at the forefront of all permutations by keen political observers. Many of them have since predicted victory for him, and the feelers there can serve as a guide for those who have yet to see the handwriting on the wall. As the APC house continues to fall apart, Atiku is busy consolidating his gains across the country. This is probably why the courageous female political activist Naja’atu Muhammad dumped the Tinubu project, where she was the director responsible for civil society organizations (CSOs). She refused to join those who push the Tinubu agenda for their selfish ends. She told the Nigerians the truth as she knew it: that Tinubu is mentally incapable of running the country.

When Naja’atu made her revelations, there were attempts by the APC to discredit her. But Nigerians knew better. If she hadn’t spilled the beans, she would have remained a director on the APC’s presidential campaign council. Waziri is poised to win big in his northeastern region, which includes his home state of Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi, Borno and Yobe. In the northwest, comprising the states of Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara. Atiku remains the leading candidate even in Kano, where Kwankwaso is from. The North Central also bought the Atiku agenda. Despite the noise being made by supporters of the Labor Party’s Peter Obi, Atiku has a lot to lose in the South East, as the region has always been home to PDP. With Okowa as its running mate, South South is home to PDP. Even the Southwest that some admit to the APC will be in for a surprise. This is why Atiku’s path to victory is clearer than any pretender’s. He has more spread than any other candidate who has built bridges in every nook and cranny of Nigeria for over 40 years. As many people realise, Nigerians know Atiku and Atiku knows Nigeria!

Not knowing how to stop him, or at least slow his momentum, the APC is now grasping at straws. A spokesman for the party’s presidential campaign council and a member of Buhari’s cabinet are trying to get from the court what they couldn’t get from the Nigerians. They want the court to bar Atiku from participating in the election, citing some questionable tapes of a serial blackmailer. But Atiku doesn’t look back. The closer we get to Election Day, the more his empathy for the weak becomes apparent. Atiku genuinely feels the pain of Nigerians and will always count. When the Central Bank of Nigeria seemed adamant not to extend the currency swap deadline despite the suffering involved, Atiku spoke up. He said currency redesign is a global practice, but added that an extension was needed for the many people in remote areas with little or no access to financial institutions. In the end, the CBN had to agree with Atiku because what he said was out of patriotism as well as practicality. It is not the first time that the APC government has relied on Atiku’s ideas to get out of trouble.

Nigerians have seen the manifestos of all candidates, including those who are not fit to even pack suya. Atiku’s was notable for the simplicity of his messages and the practical ways he cited of addressing the issues holding Nigeria back. It is true that the federal government can do with fewer powers, and Atiku has promised to do so, so that states have more resources to do more for the people. Atiku’s manifesto has something for everyone: youth, women, artisans, business people and more. It has timelines as well as key deliverables. It is a document that Nigerians must work on to see it implemented. Atiku is ready both physically and mentally, because Nigeria needs a president who is fit in both respects. Essentially, in the next three weeks, at this defining moment in Nigeria’s history, work to save Nigeria will begin in earnest. Nigerians will choose hope, peace and prosperity over division and blame and false promises. So, for any student tired of perpetual strikes forcing him to spend 8 years on a 4-year program: hope is on the way!

For any soldier frustrated with multiple deployments to war zones, hope is on the way! To every farmer who is dejected and ravaged by hunger because he cannot go to the farm for fear of being kidnapped: hope is on the way! To any parent who is in dire financial straits and cannot afford to send their children to school or hospitals when they are sick, hope is on the way!

For any retiree who hasn’t received their tip or pension, hope is on the way! Waziri’s life as an orphan who struggled to be what he is now with the help of Almighty God is made and prepared for this moment. He understands how you feel and what you are going through because your story is his life story and has lived it. Come out on February 25 to reject cynicism and doubts and vote for hope and the real change for Nigeria. Now is the time and there is light at the end of the tunnel. We cannot afford to walk away in frustration; not in this time when we are going to make history and tell our children’s children that this was the moment when we refused to close the beautiful chapter of our history by choosing the man Atiku Abubakar to lead the ship of state from troubled waters to a prosperous nation where every citizen is treated with dignity and respect in peace and unity.

• Balogun, a political analyst, writes from Ibadan.