By Ehichioya Ezomon
Since Thursday, the camp of former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has been popping champagne in jubilation, as he received the most important endorsement yet – some would say more significant than the nomination of the candidate – for his presidential bid in 2019.
The revellers were in ‘Cloud 9’ on Friday when Atiku picked former Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, as his running mate. It’s as if he had won the prized trophy: the Presidency, because the ringing affirmation came from an unlikely and unimaginable quarter: former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Without a public support, “The Atiku People” would blame Obasanjo should Atiku lose his lifetime presidential pursuit. Why? Besides elements that want the country to divide and disintegrate, Obasanjo has held Atiku as Nigeria’s “public enemy number one,” largely on account of his perception of his former deputy as a heavily “tainted character.”
For over a decade and half, the former Head of State would not let an opportune moment slip by without regurgitating the bad side of Atiku’s persona. And he recorded such characterisation in his famous book, My Watch.
Below are some paragraphs of what he wrote in Volume 2, at pages 31 and 32 of the book, on why it would have been a “sin against God” were he to “foist Atiku on Nigeria” as president to succeed him in 2007:
“What I did not know (about Atiku), which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgement, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety truth and national interest for self and selfish interest.
“May be some of these traits and poor attributes are not easy to see until you work with the person concerned… I took him at face value. However, if his appointment was an error, I fully accepted responsibility for the genuine mistake. And knowing all that I discovered about him, what would have been an unpardonable mistake and sin against God would have been to foist him on Nigeria.”
Outside of this categorisation, Obasanjo had repeatedly vowed that Atiku would only be president of Nigeria “over his dead body.” He upped the ante lately, swearing, by God’s name, not to intentionally support Atiku’s presidential run.
In the wake of his acerbic public statement against the re-election ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari, Obasanjo told PREMIUM TIMES last August: “How can I be on the same side with Atiku? To do what? If I support Atiku for anything, God will not forgive me. If I do not know, yes. But once I know, Atiku can never enjoy my support.”
Why Obasanjo’s sudden change of mind, and heart about Atiku and his presidential aspiration? The immediate reason is that Atiku, in just a few hours, was able to “atone” for his “sins” of over 15 years.
Obasanjo’s words: “From what transpired in the last couple of hours or so, you have shown remorse; you have asked for forgiveness and you have indicated that you have learnt some good lessons and you will mend fences and make amends as necessary and as desirable.
“Whenever or wherever you might have offended me, as a Christian who asks for God’s forgiveness of my sins and inadequacies on a daily basis, I forgive and I sincerely advise you to learn from the past and do what is right and it will be well with you.”
Those that smoothened Atiku’s peace path to Obasanjo included some “Men of God,” such as the founder of the Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo; Islamic preacher, Ahmed Gumi; and the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah. There was Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo and the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.
The remote reason Obasanjo, and the “Never Buhari” campaigners are supportIng Atiku is their desire to stop Buhari’s second term bid. Obasanjo inspired the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) with the sole purpose of changing the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of President Buhari in 2019.
In spite of himself, the willy General has located the possibility of this change in Atiku, but his “big ego” wouldn’t allow him to say so until Atiku “begs for forgiveness” and “solicits” his endorsement.
The issue of Atiku going to beg Obasanjo has consistently dominated discussions. But on each occasion he had succumbed to pressures to do so, he met with a rebuff from Obasanjo, who’s been “playing God” over Nigerians and the country.
In my December 4, 2017, article, “Atiku, 2019 and Obasanjo’s political hegemony,” I queried if Obasanjo was now God “that has the power to forgive sins?” It’s in the wake of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s assertion that the only hindrance to Atiku’s ambition was Obasanjo, whom he needed to “go and beg for forgiveness.”
According to Jonathan, “Our boss, Baba OBJ, the boss of all bosses,” must be appeased because, “we’ve all learnt at different times that you ignore OBJ at your own peril. OBJ has the magic wand, respected at home and abroad.”
I had noted then that, “Dr. Jonathan’s admonition reflects the level politics and politicians have sunk in Nigeria: That man, and not God, as the teachings of the Holy Books indicate (Romans 13:1; Daniel 2:20-22; Proverbs 5:15-16; 1 Samuel 2:7-8), is the ultimate ‘Kingmaker.'”
And I posed the question: “Should he, indeed, beg Obasanjo, how would the average Nigerian – the electorate, and not the politicians – view Atiku Abubakar? Is it as a man of integrity and independent-minded deserving of the Office of the President of Nigeria? Or as a desperate politician, who, notwithstanding his acclaimed political reach and war chest, would do anything, including beholden to godfather(s), to achieve his ambition?”
I rested my case by advising that although the decision was Atiku’s to make, “as politicians see possibilities in impossibilities,” he should stick with his claimed “consultation with God” before leaving the APC, “and not to set much store by man, who cannot play God, such as Obasanjo is being held up by Jonathan and others.”
My adumbration was that Atiku could win without Obasanjo, and he could lose because of his backing. Interestingly, Obasanjo agreed, during Thursday’s visit, that Atiku has the wherewithal to contest successfully on his own.
Among others, he said: “… you (Atiku) have the widest and greatest exposure, experience, outreach and possibly the best machinery and preparation for seeing the tough and likely dirty campaign ahead through… You have better outreach nationally and internationally and that can translate to better management of foreign affairs. You are more accessible and less inflexible and more open to all parts of the country in many ways.”
Now that Atiku has “converted on his way to Abeokuta,” and “all his sins forgiven,” will Obasanjo, too, make contrition, and restitution for “deliberately” supporting the PDP candidate? One of the grievous sins against God, as listed in the Ten Commandments, is to use His name in vain (Exodus 20:7) or swear falsely by, “and so profane the name of your God.” (Leviticus 19:12) This seems the Ebora Owu’s pastime!
Similarly, Nigerians, and even the international community, deserve an unreserved apology from Obasanjo for deceiving them to believe that all he had said over the years about Atiku were true. Whereas, as he recanted last week, he’s failed the integrity test for honesty, truth, trust, loyalty, good judgment, transparency, morality, and nationalism – all of which he had accused Atiku of negating.