Coalition of political rejects: dead on arrival, by Kola Amzat

In 1976, the Military Government of late Murtala Ramat Mohammed resolved to relocate the Federal Capital from Lagos.

Consequently, he set up a committee under the leadership of Justice Akinola Aguda, which eventually recommended the creation of a Federal Territory (FCT) in the centre of the country and a proclamation to this effect was made, as pendulum of fate swung on Abuja to be the new Nigeria Federal Capital.

Abuja was chosen on account of its central location, easy accessibility, salutary climate, and low population density and most especially, its availability of land for future expansion. It officially became Nigeria’s Federal Capital on 12 December, 1991, replacing Lagos.

But, the essence of this Piece is that, never in the wildest imagination of those very patriotic Nigerian Statesmen who practically changed the fortunes of FCT, Abuja, would they have imagined that the city would be practically turned to achieving different agenda other than what’s purposed, where few disgruntled elements who’d directly or indirectly been involved in governance at the highest level in the country, would often be deploying Abuja to city where discourse of frivolity and unnecessary acrimony freely takes the centre stage.

This has been the case in Abuja in recent times! The city of unity has been seized by men overwhelmed by the spirit of jealousy, anger, political vengeance and strife, absolutely for no just cause.

They’ve perfected act of often invading the city, recklessly splash local and foreign currencies to unsuspecting Nigerians, hold the city spell-bound and engage in vaunting political prowess and clout they never possess back home in their various states, as well as embarrassing federal government and people of Nigeria through mindless propaganda and often leave on their trail, confusion and blackmail of the policies and plans of government.

It was this model of confusion that the likes of Bukola Saraki and Rotimi Amaechi and their fellow political travelers perfected and deployed in 2013 to mischievously deplete the rank of the then ruling party-PDP and eventually, pitched their tents with the then newly emerged APC.

There have been other gatherings of discredited politicians in the same city of Abuja over decades essentially for issues that were simply selfish and less-salutary, absolutely with no bearing whatsoever to development and prosperity of the country and its teeming population.

One of such, was the recent gathering of some expired politicians who have simply become political orphans in their former parties, with the sole objective of adopting ADC Coalition as the party they intend to deploy to wrestle power from Tinubu APC led federal government.

David Mark, who was unanimously adopted as the interim chairman, was indeed a top notch of PDP government for about 20 years, with 8 years as senate president.

His senatorial districts out rightly rejected his 6th bid in 2019, with the Benue electorates preferring to cast their loins on an APC senator, on account of Mark refusal to develop the senatorial districts throughout the donkey years he was in PDP controlled federal government.

Nigerians would vividly recall that it was the same Oturkpo born retired military Brigadier, as a former Communication Minister under military government that threw insults at the teeming Nigerian population by his infamous declaration that mobile phones are not for the poor.

Adopting David Mark as the party interim Chairman of the ADC Coalition party aligns with the party hierarchy’s deliberate attempt to draw a line between the rich and the poor.      

Of course, Mark has never been noted to be on the side of the masses, even throughout his 20 years at the Upper Chamber, with his last two terms as senate president.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the supposed brain behind the ADC Coalition has never left anyone in doubt that he absolutely has nothing to offer in governance, other than deploying power for megalomaniac purposes, as well as for dispensing favours to few cronies around him.

If the declaration of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo on Atiku, that the latter would only become president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria over his dead body, is anything to go by, then Nigerians must keep ADC Coalition party at a distance.

Who again could seamlessly judge and assess Atiku’s capacity, loyalty to Nigeria cause, transparency in governance other than the president he served as vice president for 8 years?

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar connived with Mallam El-Rufai as the then DG, Bureau of Public Enterprises, simply to CLEAN UP Nigeria, through CLANDESTINE acquisition of all the country’s valued assets and public monuments through very phony auctioning arrangements!  

It’s instructive that the Adamawa born former top customs officer had contested the nation presidency for 6 six times, with no headway.

It’s also important that he has contested the presidency severally deploying the platforms of all known political parties that ever come into existence in the country, a testament to the fact that his quest for leadership of the country is not rooted in political ideology, beliefs and values, but simply, desire to grab power.

Without any iota of doubt, it would be a grave blunder of immeasurable proportion to have Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as helmsman at the Aso Villa’s corridor of power.            

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola that ADC Coalition has adopted as Interim Secretary is a combustible, belligerent and cantankerous politician that any worthy leader would be willing to keep at distance.

He has records of precipitating confusion and disorder anywhere he holds sway. Nigeria should enquire from the Osun people about his 8 years tenure as governor in the state! He practically deployed a personal “carved out constitution” for the state.

Nigerians would recall that he changed the name of state to “State of Osun” throughout his 8 years reign until the new government emerged and thereafter, reverted the state to Osun state.

It’s also instructive that he practically converted Osun state to Islamic state, mandating all the primary and secondary students to be wearing hijab, as well as Islamic camouflages to schools, a development that almost sparked violence and revolt. By the time he vacated, the state had become the most backward in Nigeria, with huge debts contracted from local and international creditors, running into several billions of Naira, as well as several hundred in foreign currencies.    

Nigerians and his fellow ADC Coalition are better be warned that Rauf Aregbesola has no history of respecting and honouring benefactors. Indeed, he treats them with disdain and impunity!

Aregbesola would have been like any other struggling Nigerian, battling with monthly salary just as his HND engineering graduate colleagues, struggling to effect payment of house rentals, effecting schools fees obligations of his children with pains, but, for the benevolence of Aswiaju Tinubu who practically lifted him from the street, showcased him as one of the best eleven in Lagos state governance as Commissioner for works for 8 years.

The former Lagos state governor didn’t stop at this, he practically ensured that Aregbesola assumed the topmost office in Osun as governor, after about 3 years of court litigation solely funded by Asiwaju Tinubu himself.

Tinubu also ensured that he got appointed as Federal Minister of Interior even after the curtains were drawn on his disastrous 8 years tenure as Osun state governor. See where the ingrate has landed!

To the ADC Coalition group, bringing Aregbesola to their fold is tantamount to bringing fire on the roof of one’s home and in a short while, Nigerians are patiently waiting for the result of their hurriedly arranged marriage.

And, what do we say about another leader of the Coalition, El-Rufai, who just barely 2 years out of governor’s office in Kaduna state has become a political orphan. As I put on this Piece, all his political associates have abandoned him. Technically, he’s like a fish out of the ocean!

Rather than grandstanding on the streets of Abuja, politically laying claim to what’s he not, in Kaduna state, Nigerians should ask him to go and contest for Local Government election in the state and await the result if he would not lose! His political fortunes in the state have plummeted and waned badly!

In history, El-Rufai is the worst governor Kaduna state ever had! For the 8 years his tenure endured, he created a wide gulf between Southern and Northern Kaduna people, for the reason best known to him.

His tenure witnessed genocide of immeasurable proportion, with thousands of people particularly in Southern Kaduna unduly been sent to the world beyond, on account of El-Rufai maladministration. He’s simply lucky to be alive that he’s not been waylaid and torn into pieces after that horrendous 8 years!

What does he want to say? He plunged the state into huge debts with absolutely no developmental initiatives to show for them, contracted locally and internationally that the successive administrations would be battling with for repayment, in decades.

He would be lucky if he doesn’t make his way to the correctional centre after the verdict might have been given by the panel set up by the state government to unravel his tenure of greed and aggrandizement!

Rotimi Amaechi, another front runner in ADC Coalition is aware that he’s just wasting his time in Abuja, moving up and down with his coalition colleagues.

He has a nemesis in Wike Nyesom, Minister of FCT, who has severally embarrassed him in the past on issues bothering on his inglorious tenure, as well as his dirty past while governing the state.

And, why would Nigerians not listen to Wike Nyesom? He took the reign of government from the former Federal Minister of Transport. He obviously knows Amaechi in and out. They were politically together for decades before they parted and went their different ways.

For sure, Rotimi Amaechi also plunged the treasury of Rivers State into darkness, running the state like his fiefdom, the statement of facts that are all with Wike, who succeeded him.

It’s saddening and simply worrisome that the aforementioned personalities are the ‘leading lights’ of the ADC Coalition party. Those are the people professing their intentions to rescue Nigeria.

Those are the past leaders who had misused their opportunity/s at the highest level of governance and are now running helter skelter to take over from a purposeful, result-oriented, focused, people-centric and developmental centric government.    

The most tragic thing about the ADC Coalition team is that none of the supposed leaders intend to step down for others.  They all see themselves as presidential aspirants.

This is how they would battle each other, even up to the time INEC calls for the party’s presidential candidate.

Theirs would be all motion, no movement! They jointly don’t have track records of performance. They won’t develop one now!

Their activities are simply a distraction. They don’t have any plan for Nigeria other than to invade the treasury and appropriate it to their private accounts and estates.

I implore Nigerians to disregard these agents of darkness that have grouped themselves under the umbrella of ADC Coalition. They’ve absolutely nothing to offer. They simply desire to take the country back to the dark days!

Within two years in office, President Tinubu has shown courage, patriotism and purposeful leadership and he’s presently doing everything to advance the cause of the country.

He has continued to strengthen the country unity, harmony and togetherness.

He has given all the ethnic groups a sense of belonging, including the hitherto, forgotten South East zone.

He has advanced the cause of Niger Delta Region people.

His footprints is everywhere- Infrastructural developments (Rail, Road, and Airways), Economy, Medical Infrastructures, Educational Infrastructures and advancement, ICT Infrastructures.

Nigerians should discard and disregard the crying of babies by ADC Coalition adherents and cast their loins on the administration of Bola Tinubu. This is the only plausible way to go in the year 2027 and beyond.

There is much more to do for the country to turn the tide. Beyond 2027, I implore fellow country men and women to jointly collaborate to give this president a resounding victory at polls and let him continue with his good works. 

Kola Amzat (FCA, FCIB),

Lagos based Financial and Management Consultants,

09077509348.