ATIKU: WHEN LIES FAIL TEST OF REALITY
ATIKU:
WHEN LIES FAIL TEST OF REALITY
This screenshot taken on December 2, 2017 from
a Facebook Live video by Atiku Abibakar shows the former Nigerian vice
president giving reasons why he has chosen to return to the People’s Democratic
Party less than a fortnight after dumping the ruling All Progressives Congress.
PHOTO: FACEBOOK/ATIKU ABUBAKAR/GUARDIAN NIGERIA
The ready assumption
by some writers and public commentators is that most Nigerians are gullible and
have short memories. As such, some of these self-acclaimed political analysts
churn out falsehood as facts in an attempt to manipulate the mind of
well-meaning Nigerians.
Sadly, the
consequence of keeping quiet to such writers is that, if their lies are allowed
to travel far and unaddressed, the truth will easily be sacrificed on the altar
of lies.
With the seeming
public hysteria since former Vice President, Alhaji
Abubakar Atiku defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the
opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the impression has been sold that
the act was not only sacrilegious but also unprecedented.
A parody of a
political prostitute has instead been unleashed through the manipulation of
online and mainstream media to give the impression that
the man was desperate and consumed by the spirit of inordinate ambition. A
desperado for political power!
The saddest part of
the lynch mob mentality currently on the prowl is that the “sudden critics” of Alhaji Atiku want to hold him to a
different standard, separate from known measures used for others. You will
imagine that the former Vice President transformed to a supernatural being the
day the decision was made to leave APC for the PDP.
Yet, the Wazirin
Adamawa, as Atiku is also known is not the first in our recent history to
change political parties. Certainly, he is not in the
league of those who have contested the presidency more than once. Neither is he
in the mould of a stiff neck bigot who refused to quit the stage nor concede
defeat after losing an election.
Unfortunately, the
spin masters would want us to believe otherwise. So, they ask, ‘how many times
would Atiku contest for the presidency’? How many political parties would he
join before becoming President? Should he not know when to quit or when the
ovation has abated? What ideology drives the man’s politics?
The truth, however,
is that Atiku’s name has only been on the ballot paper once. Meaning, he has
contested as a candidate in an election only once. That was in 2007, as the
flag bearer of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) against the late President
Musa Yar’Adua of PDP.
On the other hand,
Nigeria’s history documents an individual that contested as a candidate for the
Number One position four times before fate smiled on him. He was flagbearer of
the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive
Change (CPC), and the APC under which platform he won to be president in 2015.
Interestingly, when
people complained that incumbent President Buhari was
being difficult by repeatedly contesting for the presidency, they were reminded
that President Abraham Lincoln of America failed more times in his desire
before attaining the top position. Even at that, we need not be reminded that
each time Buhari was asked to step down for another aspirant to fly the flag of
a party, he simply left for another platform to pursue the dream of being President
of Nigeria. Needless to say, Buhari never accepted defeat nor congratulated
anyone who defeated him in an election but was indirectly associated with
post-electoral violence.
On the other hand,
the same Atiku that is being vilified by a section of
the media never left any party because he lost the party primaries. He left
only when a level playing field was not given to everyone to partake in the
exercise. Truth is that, Atiku, the Wazirin Adamawa is respected more as a
loyal party man even though he could not be categorised or branded a zealot.
Perhaps, we need to
refresh our memories on the circumstances that led to Atiku’s first exit from
the PDP. Have we forgotten so soon that he left because of the politics of the
third term? That he was frustrated to leave after
he successfully stopped the undemocratic and illogical third term agenda?
Truth is Atiku should
be celebrated as one the heroes of our modern democracy. Outside the late
Bashorun MKO Abiola and to some extent, the late
Shehu Musa Yar’Adua who paid the
supreme sacrifice to ensure the sustenance Nigerian democracy, kudos should
also go to Atiku for having played a lot of roles for the common good of his
party and the country at large than advancing self-interest. Two instances
clearly stand out ; first his role in the PDM /SDP alliance for MKO Abiola and
in 2003 he declined a popular prompting for him to contest in the party
primaries against his boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Any good watcher of
Nigerian politics would understand that in recent times there is no huge
difference in both ideologies and conduct of the major political parties. What
actually stands out, in the end, is the personality of the man or woman seeking
to be elected into public office. In realistic terms, every other consideration
amounts to political deceit and sophistry.
By and large, there
is no dispute that Atiku, the former Vice President possess intimidating
democratic credentials and leadership qualities than most of those who have
signified interest to run for the presidency in the past and to a large extent
even now. Indeed, this is an unassailable fact we cannot deny.
“The truth may be out
there, but the lies are inside your head.” – Terry Pratchett
Shaibu, a Public Communication expert writes from Abuja
Shaibu, a Public Communication expert writes from Abuja