Atiku Abubakar: Incongruous aristocrat that would never be President, by Kola Amzat

Nigerians could just imagine how dull, unexciting and uninteresting the nation’s political sphere would have been without the likes of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and comedians like Peter Obi!

As a matter of fact, we must acknowledge the fact that democratic governance is not only about the ruling government and their policies, as well as numerous exciting programs being rolled out from time to time; its also about the theatrics, clownish, economically less-discerning and less-informed key opposition leaders who are for-ever on the sidelines, entertaining few gullible Nigerians with gospel of deceit, deception, fabricated lies & falsehood, and propaganda.

With all intents and purposes, we must admit that they have their motley crowd and faithful, even though few, who painstakingly pay attention to their disruptive, destructive and very unpatriotic sermons.

It’s pointless to start chronicling particularly the political trajectory of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar with reference to the number of times he’d made unsuccessful attempts at presidency.

But for the benefit of the APOLITICAL readers, it’s germane that we reiterate that five times he’d frantically sought the office of president; five times he’d failed and consecutively too, in five electoral cycles.

This accounts for why his level of desperation for the forthcoming polls is at the highest. Of course, he’s of deep conviction that beyond 2027  polls, he would be a laughing stock and an object of ridicule and scorn if he ever bid for the presidency again. 

But, the most important office in the land is not about self-entitlement  nor the quantum of wealth at one’s disposal.  

It’s also not about stubbornness, grandstanding, or overzealousness of someone just waking up from the wrong side of the bed and starting making destructive and very provocative policy pronouncements.

Rather, it’s about vision, wisdom, helicopter view of issues, decisiveness, courage, resourcefulness, ubiquitousness, and more importantly, about providing a rallying point for the people of a diverse country as Nigeria with incredible diversity of religion, ethnicity, beliefs, traditions, norms etc.        

It’s therefore instructive that there is an urgent need for Turakin Adamawa to engage himself in deep INTROSPECTION of his suitability and fitness for the office he’s been seeking.    

Below scriptural events may also guide and be beneficial to the ex-vice president towards mellowing down his desperation for an office providence hasn’t and won’t favour him for.

“The Lord said to Samuel: Do not consider his appearance. The Lord doesn’t look at things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7     

Besides the fact that the former vice president currently seems to be in a state of amnesia, he also looks jaded and worn out, emotionally troubled and physically unfit for the rigours and onerous demands of the office he’s seeking to occupy.     

Despite the above personal challenges, it’s crystal clear that ahead of the forthcoming polls, the former vice president is prepared to engage in anything to wear the crown.

He’s ready to make any pronouncement or declaration no matter how destructive, disruptive and provocative just to attract and curry favour of the teeming uninformed population particularly at the grassroots, where bloc votes are always guaranteed.

The Turakin Adamawa would bother less of the wider implications of his pronouncements on economy, education and even, potential negative effect on the unity of the nation.  

As far as he’s concerned, the end justifies the means. The die is cast! 

This was why a political leader who’d operated almost at the highest level-eight solid years as vice president who ordinarily supposed to know better could recklessly declare that he’s prepared to restore the locust era of fuel subsidy, if elected.

Atiku is unconcerned that Nigeria had wasted about ₦4 trillion subsiding petroleum products just within one or two years in the past.

He is not bothered that the nation’s economy could no longer sustain the elephantiasis project.

In those dark eras of petroleum subsidy, the products were continually being smuggled into neighbouring countries where they’re sold at ridiculously exorbitant prices thereby depriving the nation of the benefits accrued from the policy. Its either Turakin Adamawa is oblivious of this wasted escapade or simply been mischievous.

It’s also curious that the former vice-president desired to stay aloof of justification behind Nigeria discontinuing with policy of export crude oil, and thereafter import the same refined products, committing hard-earned foreign currencies earning to subside the imported products.

Meanwhile, the outrage from cross-section of Nigerians that have trailed his proposed bitter and poisonous pill not only underscores the ex-vice president complete ignorance of the working in the oil & gas  industry despite his eight years as second in command in Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency, its also indeed exposed the shallowness, visionless and gross incompetence of a political leader who have committed the past 20 years of his sojourn on earth seeking to occupy the topmost office in the land.

In a democratic government, it’s the superior idea, strategic & logical initiatives, compromise and vision that always hold sway, and not the stubbornness, crass arrogance of a primitive and archaic leader, and unnecessary display of arrogance and aristocratic posture which could only throw the nation into endless and unending economic chaos, anarchy and pandemonium.

This is why there are layers of authority in a democratic order.

At the national and state levels, there are national assemblies of two chambers-Lower & Upper, where issues of national importance undergo a rubicon of legislation at plenaries followed with First, Second and Third & Final Reading before Bills are presented for president’s assent to become Act.

The above process is put in place so that no individual has capacity to unnecessarily distort the working of government like Turakin Adamawa has proposed to do.

It is instructive that the Federal Government recently announced that a humongous sum of ₦15.8 trillion was mobilized as savings from subsidy removal between June 2023 and Dec 2025.

And that ₦5.43 trillion, ₦6.52 trillion and ₦3.88 trillion accrued to the Federal, States and Local government authorities respectively. 

The government submitted that the huge funds made available to states and Local governments have strengthened their capacity to meet the demand of salary and pension obligations, as well as to deploy in the investment of infrastructures-rails, roads, airports, and essential services, including healthcare, education and other socio-cultural needs at the grassroots.

On the part of the federal government, additional ₦6.47 trillion recorded were deployed on strategic infrastructure covering major investments in transport, agricultures, housing, security architecture, as well as other strategic projects which includes audacious investments in 700 kms Lagos-Calabar Co and the Traastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway and the Trans-Saharan Superhighway.

The reforms have also facilitated over 10 million Nigerians benefiting from social transfer schemes. Moreover, ₦400 billion has also been deployed towards landmark initiatives like the Nigerian Education Loan Fund(NELFUND), MOFI Real Estate Investment and The Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP)

The above are diverse gains accrued from savings from subsidy removal, the very developmental policy which Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has for the umpteenth times vowed to remove.

This is why he would never smell the presidency till he bid the earth goodbye.                                            

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB),

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.