Atiku, Obi: Too far from Being the options in 2027, by Ernest Omoarelojie

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is a character that is difficult to put a finger on. Apart from being classed a thief a claim the former Vice President didn’t refute, former President Olusegun Obasanjo also made it clear he is not fit for the position he so desperately seeks to occupy-Office of the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In more ways than one, he is a seeming split personality who could well qualify to be called 2Face (no apologies to Innocent Idibia since he is no longer known by the name).

That is, given the disturbing manner he wears his religious bigotry so much so that he allows it to stand in the way of his reaction to disturbing critical national issues.

When the late Deborah Yakubu was brutally murdered in Sokoto state by Muslim fundamentalists over alleged blasphemy, the former Vice President was one of the first Nigerians to issue a statement of condemnation. But moments later, he did a volte face by conveniently pulling down the reaction. He never said anything about the condemnable act thereafter. Obviously, the crime was not worthy of his mention and Deborah, her family, friends and loved ones were undeserving of his empathy. In any case, the honourable former VP could not afford to be seen to condemn actions conducted by groups with whom he had religious affinity. Deborah was not in the league.

Shortly after the recent unfortunate incident in Uromi, Esan North East Council area of Edo state, where a group of young men, mostly Kano state origin, were lynched, he left nothing to chance as he ran down those who perpetrated the unconscionable incident. He also condoled with and consoled the families of the deceased and went ahead to demand for immediate investigation and justice on behalf of the unfortunate victims. Unlike those who murdered Deborah, the Uromi killers must be punished for their sacrilegious crime and compensation for their various family members, perhaps. Well done our next “Oga Presido”. Hear him:

“I am deeply saddened by reports of the tragic killing of some hunters in Edo State. My heartfelt condolences go out to their families and loved ones.

“This unfortunate incident demands a thorough, transparent, and impartial investigation to uncover and ensure that those responsible are brought to book.

“The protection of innocent lives must remain paramount, and I urge the authorities to act swiftly and decisively to prevent a recurrence of jungle justice.

“Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done to restore public confidence in our security institutions. -AA,” he wrote on his X handle.

Less than a week or so after the Uromi incident, terrorists with a religious bent Alhaji Atiku is familiar with, obviously similar to those that killed Deborah, unleash mayhem on hapless natives, mostly Christians, of communities in Bokkos council area of Plateau state, leaving tens of victim gruesomely murdered for the umpteenth time. Like he did with Deborah, Alhaji Abubakar wrote a somewhat flippant reaction on his verified X handle but unlike what he did with his 2022 reaction, the reaction has not been pulled down. Obviously, no pressure was brought to bear on him from any quarter as the fate of the victims isn’t quite something that can be wished off. However, rather than condemned the act as he did with the case in Uromi, he picked the President as his fall guy. As if that wasn’t enough, he went ballistics on the country’s media which he accused of no longer deeming it fit to have ongoing high voltage terror attacks worthy of headlines.

“The failure of Bola Tinubu’s security architecture has now become an endemic nationwide phenomenon with repeated killings, more of which do not even make the headlines.

“Nigerians are now being forced to get used to such news of wanton killings, and I again offer my condolences to the bereaved communities of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State and the affected families.

“I wish to restate my counsel to the Tinubu-led FG to reconfigure its security architecture to meet the needs of protecting the lives and properties of our people. -AA”

Atiku Abubakar appears to be too much of a religious and sectional bigot for a man with a lifelong dream to rule a multi religious and ethnic country like Nigeria. This is particularly evident in the manner he allows his religious bent to dictate how he reacts to critical national issues. Mostly, the influence gives preeminence to religious considerations over and above the sanctify of human lives. It is sadly so when the victims are Christians. That explains why he appears to see the death of those from one section of the country’s many divides as worthy of more concern than those of others. Compared to his verbose reproach on the savage perpetrators of the incident in Uromi and subsequent demand for urgent justice for the victims, his deafening silence on the Deborah case is instructive. No less so is his confounding position on the Bokkos incident. Such a character is not good enough to represent Nigeria and Nigerians in the capacity he seeks.

Yet Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is not the only seeker of the highest office in Nigeria who is not fit for it. Prior to landing the office in 2023, my position on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was never hidden. The only thing that has changed is the fact that I have accepted his position as the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of my country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria as legitimately decided by relevant authorities, including the ballot. However, there are others equally lined up against him come 2027. One of them is Peter Obi.

The only difference between Unlike Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi is that Obi has managed to add colour to his sectional bigotry. Forget about the show in one mosque to eat rice and drink Furah da Nunu with Almajiris. That is a very familiar con tact of an average trick-star. It is one of his Machiavellian gambits. The real Obi is ‘Okwute’ the rock.

Typically, Obi has enough to say about every national malaise-politics, economy and or insecurity. Except as they unfold in his backyard-the South East. For instance, against earlier perception, even in residents of the zone that that both the Eastern Security Networks, ESN, and the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, were out to save the people from their enemies, facts on ground indicate that they have actually become the real enemies of the people. In fact, the number of deaths, gruesome deaths, that have resulted from their criminal conducts now indicate that they are the region’s version of North East’s Boko Haram and ISWAP put together. Fear, rather than respect, has ensured that the people kept sealed lips over their presence.

Outside ofwhat appears to his version of “speaking in tongue”, like the case of a non-Igbo pronouncing Iwauanyanwu, Obi has never found it worthy to condemn the nefarious activities of both the ESN and IPOB. In fact, his decision to remain largely mum on the issue defies common sense particularly against the backdrop that his shrill voice becomes so loud and clear whenever there is a crime of even less impact anywhere in any other parts of the Nigerian divides. In most cases, it is not unusual for him to criss cross the country to show empathy, sometimes, money aided condolences. It is even more so if anything unfortunate incident happens to his own kinsmen who outside of the South East. That’s when the real sectional side of him fires up. Certainly, he is one individual with an inflamed sense of self belief, one that convinced him that he will rule this great country. What he has not done is to deflate his more insidious sectional disposition that takes the sails off any national outlook that could be attributed to him.

Nigeria is a country where traumatised minority tribes are already looking for a truly genuine statesman who are not guided or controlled by primordial sentiments. These minorities are already feeling misled by the mercantile disposition of the current administration. They are hoping to find credible nationalists as 2027 draws nearer. Apart from the non-realistic Gen Z whose bandwagon-driven Utopian quests out-reasons the country’s peculiar differences, Nigerians who understand the country’s politics are aware that neither Obi nor Atiku stands a chance against a Tinubu in 2027. Ongoing puerile permutations aside, they tend to overlook the fact that Tinubu is not Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Take that to the bank and thank me later. Anyways, this is my opinion