By Jennifer Ejim
The emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) took quite a number of people by surprise, including the main opposition party. Let’s just say they did not quite expect it. The main focus seemed to be on the current senate president, Bukola Saraki, but that expectation did not pan out.
For most people, the initial reaction to the news of Atiku’s emergence as PDP’s presidential candidate was surprise, then a feeling of déjà vu, and expectations of the same rhetoric from the same old gladiators. However, upon further consideration, it became apparent that this was probably the best choice, given several permutations.
Atiku is no stranger to the intricacies associated with political maneuvering at the federal level, and is surely the opponent to beat out of the ones put forth for consideration by PDP. The country is much divided today along various fault lines, especially ethnic and religious. It is quite sad to see people falling for tactics aimed at maintaining divisions, when it is quite clear that we could do so much better as a nation when we make the conscious decision to rise above that which seeks to divide.
As a seasoned politician, Atiku has been making all the right moves. He has admitted that he has erred in the past, but is willing to make amends and move forward. He has also become quite popular, not necessarily because he is the sort of candidate a lot of people would have preferred, but because, quite frankly – people are just fed up with the present government, and would eventually have rallied round anyone who won the PDP’s top ticket to help restore sanity to the country.
Choosing the former governor of Anambara state, Peter Obi, as his running mate, is another deft stroke from Atiku. Let’s be objective here, this is a class of people who feel marginalized in the general scheme of things politically in Nigeria. Classifying them as a mere 5% as opposed to a preferred so-called 97%, and sending supposed pythons to dance in response to agitations which could have been peacefully resolved with just a show of consideration did not help matters one little bit. The resentment runs deep.
He tapped into this lingering and festering resentment by assuring the region that he is here for them. To further consolidate this, he also chose, quite wisely, one of the best from the region. Peter Obi is a son of the soil, and one who has proven himself at various levels to be an astute businessman, highly educated and a good manager of resources and people. He certainly has what it takes to contribute to moving the country from the depths to which it has sunk to a higher place.
Say what you will about Atiku, at least he is more open to putting the most qualified people in charge of various sectors of the country. Emphasis is on qualified people, that is to say, people who actually know what they are doing, as opposed to choosing people because they are from the same background with you. That is exactly one of the reasons why the country is in the sorry and restive state in which it is currently.
Igbo leaders, you can do better than to start chasing rats when the house is on fire. While acknowledging that the main grouse is the lack of consultation which led to the selection of Obi, what is at stake here is bigger than sentiments of bruised pride, and will benefit all Nigerians in the end.
Atiku has the right to choose the person he feels most comfortable working with, and Peter Obi is not a bad choice—not by a long shot.
Some argued that Atiku should have chosen someone from the South West, considering the fact that people from the South East will vote overwhelmingly in favour of PDP, anyway. Let’s make it clear here that there are people with capabilities to steer this country in a much better manner than what currently obtains from every region of Nigeria, and PDP certainly has capable people from the South West.
However, it is mere assumption to take for granted that people from the South East will vote massively for PDP since apathy has sunk in deep due to the feeling of marginalization, and a considerable percentage of people from that region probably would not have voted anyway.
This happened during the last election when many people from the South East abstained from voting, leading to the low number of votes from that region in 2015 in comparison to the previous election. It would probably have been worse this time around, but this move by Atiku will certainly galvanize them to vote in 2019.
I remember in 2015 when voting was going on during the presidential election, someone who resides in Onitsha had complained that so many people did not vote, and some actually used the opportunity to watch Nkoli Nwa Nsukka, rather than participate fully in the electoral process.
Kudos to Atiku for recognizing the effort the people of the South East, and South South have made in ensuring that the PDP did not go extinct these past few years. In 2015, the South East, almost as a bloc, voted PDP. Overwhelmingly.
Obi is a technocrat to the core, a judicious manger of resources which speaks to the discipline and simplicity that constitutes his personality, and is eminently qualified to fill the position of the Vice President.
More importantly for PDP, his selection has rekindled hope in the hearts of people who have already written off the forthcoming election as more of the usual. Suddenly, people are actually searching for their PVCs to ensure they make their voices heard.
With the Atiku/Obi ticket, the emphasis will be on economic development and job creation. Hopefully, that administration will focus on redressing the current nepotistic appointments, and tapping into the abundant talented human capital in the country.
Tension is high in the land, a lot of people cannot afford the basic necessities of life, the prices of goods and commodities have doubled, and even tripled in some cases. The glaring marginalization, nepotism and lopsided concept of fighting corruption, unaddressed murderous herdsmen, and security issues make the case for a better captain to steer this ship called Nigeria.
This is the time to eschew tribalism and other petty considerations which will not serve us well and work towards choosing the most competent people to move this great country forward. What we need now is a free and level playing field, devoid of any form of manipulation, so the voice of the people can truly be heard.