Atiku: Desperation Or Ambition For Power?

When this week, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) disassociated themselves from the planned coalition talks to wrest power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, it sent threatening signals that former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, may be embarking on a journey of yet another political fantasy that has been his lot since 1993 when he declared his presidential ambition at the Social Democratic Party (SDP) National Convention in Jos, the Plateau state capital.
With the wind still blowing and the categorical position of the governors made clear, the chances of the ‘Wazirin Adamawa’ presidency in 2027 is dimming. Any presidential ambition devoid of governors’ support under this current political dispensation is bound to suffer collateral damage.

Governors’ Backing

Since the PDP governors declared their opposition on the coalition talks, many have interpreted such a position as amounting to driving the final nail on the coffin of Atiku’s ambition. As owners of the party’s structures in their states, the governors’ standpoint can’t be discarded easily. For a party that is reputed for its many internal crises, the horizon for resolving PDP’s many troubles is not yet in sight.
With some of the governors in the PDP openly canvassing for the re-election of Tinubu for a second term in office, attempting to unite the PDP to pose a serious challenge only amounts to exercising faith of survival when thrown down in the damnable pit of death. Against the backdrop of the PDP governors’ decision, it’s now clear as the day that Atiku’s long-nursed ambition has been thrown into jeopardy.

When in March 1993, Atiku competed in Jos with other contestants, the late Chief MKO Abiola and Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, over the SDP presidential ticket, some of the governors’ refusal to support Abiola and Atiku proved decisive. The trouncing of both Northern presidential aspirants was to prove a watershed in the history of the country’s presidential elections, forcing Atiku to momentarily rest his ambition. The victory of Abiola over Kingibe was hinged on the vast political connections and deep pockets possessed by the late newspaper publisher. Support from some South-west governors for Abiola went a long way to ensuring victory for the man famed for his philanthropic activities.

Obasanjo’s Wrath

The former vice president’s never-ending quest to be president suddenly came alive after spending one term with former President Olusegun Obasanjo who had turned him into the most powerful vice president in Nigeria. Atiku’s best chance of upstaging the Ota Farmer was in 2003 when, backed by many PDP governors, he backed out of the race to secure the party’s ticket. Obasanjo, afraid of an impending defeat in the 2003 polls, was forced to eat the humble pie of groveling before the political force he had created. The old soldier, who neither forgives nor forgets, would have his pound of flesh as he opposed attempts by his deputy to become president, stressing that “no president should pray and wish to have Atiku as a vice president.”

Despite spirited efforts to reconcile Obasanjo and Atiku, the road to an Atiku presidency has not only become illusionary, but its many curves are turning into a stretch of a lonely road, with no prospect for victory. In the face of increasing challenges from within and outside the PDP, the then Obasanjo’s deputy has refused to read the fruitlessness of commencing yet another political voyage that is Dead On Arrival (DOA). Even with constant reminders that these rejected politicians egging him on by whipping up regional sentiments ahead of 2027 general election are unreliable, the retired Customs officer is about to plunge into another contest that may not give a different result from the past. When Atiku this week declared he would fly his ambition on any available ticket, if the PDP is not available, many interpreted the statement as reflecting his desperation to become president.

More Of Desperation

Where and when does ambition turn into desperation? As the longest politician who has sustained his presidential interest for decades, not a few are asking if Atiku is not more driven by desperation than ambition. Surrounded by some politicians who yesterday played the gladiators in the enthronement of the Tinubu presidency, those supporting Atiku are not doing so based on principles, but are irrevocably consumed by the urge to teach the president a lesson for rejecting them.

Ahead of 2027, the political waters are dynamic and pregnant. The general mood now is that the South should be allowed to run through its complete tenure of eight years that will terminate in 2031. Informed analysts see any attempt at changing this may not augur well for the corporate survival of the country. To first preserve the Nigerian State, justice and equity in power sharing must be observed. There’s nothing wrong with the ‘Wazirin Adamawa’ leading the charge to provide an alternative candidate from the South against the incumbent. As much as he has an inalienable right to contest for the presidency, Atiku should read and understand the clouds hanging over Nigeria’s skies and downplay his recurring presidential ambition that is set to become another mirage if he insists on going ahead.