Atiku on the verge of Nigeria’s Abraham Lincoln

When Abraham Lincoln declared that he was running for the Office of the President of the United States of America in 1860, his decision was seen by many as yet another opportunity for him to taste defeat. This was a man, who before that time had lost eight elections, failed twice in business, and suffered a nervous breakdown and a series of other incalculable misfortunes. Yet for some reason, Lincoln went on to win the election in 1861, rising above four other strong contenders who vied for the same position. His reforms were socially progressive such that only a handful of American presidents in the frame of George Washington and Franklin Roosevelt can be ranked close enough to him in terms of achievements. And for over two centuries, Lincoln has been arguably touted as America’s greatest President, and in generic political folklore, he is considered the most progressively persistent statesman that ever lived.

When linked to Nigeria’s contemporary political experience, Atiku Abubakar’s journey to becoming Nigeria’s President resonates more with Lincoln’s attributes of persistence in politics. This is largely evident in the fact that on five occasions, Nigeria’s topmost job has eluded Atiku’s grip, and for some reason, he is still pushing hard to achieve the Holy Grail. This should tell Nigerians something. A student of the prestigious Shehu Yar’Adua political school of thought, Atiku understands the depth, plight, and hue and color of the Nigerian problem. Over time, he has demonstrated this understanding through his expansive distribution of goodwill and public goods.

Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, no Vice President in the country has impacted social development like Atiku. During this period, he anchored the economic team that paid Nigeria’s debt and played a huge role in the reformation of the telecommunications and banking sectors. Atiku singlehandedly attracted the best technocrats such as Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Oby Ezekwesili into the Obasanjo’s government to drive developmental strides. As a viable businessman, the former vice president, for over three decades, has created over 50,000 jobs for Nigerians. His penchant for quality education primed him to establish the American University in Yola, the capital of his home State—Adamawa. It is a well-known fact that not many politicians in the country, past or present has contributed more to human and social development than Atiku Abubakar.

The thing about Atiku is that he exemplifies in full stretch what Nigerians need from a President. His experience spans over thirty years of utmost dedication in public service. His cosmopolitan mindset more than anything else augurs well for a multicultural society like ours. From having a kid whom he gave an Igbo name—Ifeanyi and another with a Yoruba name, Bukola. Atiku is not an ethnic bigot like most Nigerian politicians. And no contemporary statesman is as popular as he is, considering that he is very well known in as many local and small towns such as Kantagora, Arochukwu, Obanliku, Ilara to state a few. It is this liberal-mindedness among other things that sets Atiku apart from fellow presidential candidates such as Peter Obi and Bola Tinubu.

The case of Ahmed Bola Tinubu brings on board a whole different dynamic The former Lagos state governor is alleged to be ill and this may incapacitate his performance if elected. Tinubu’s challenge of a clean bill of health is reminiscent of the Buhari’s experience seven years ago—one where Nigerians voted in a President that largely underwhelmed, partly as a result of his ailing health. Tinubu has also been largely accused of constantly imposing his minions to run every affair of the State since the end of his tenure as Governor—a vice many find disturbing and undemocratic in the quest for a progressive Nigeria.

While Peter Obi, for instance, is in a way considered a strong contender for the 2023 presidential election, the fact remains that the former Anambra State governor lacks the needed national appeal to become Nigeria’s next president. Obi was nothing close to being a great governor in Anambra State as many of his gullible supporters keep suggesting. The revelations made by the current governor of the state, Charles Soludo lends credence here. While Obi keeps enjoying the frenzy of massive social media supports from a cross section of young Nigerians, the realities on the ground suggests that he will come a distant third position in the impending presidential poll.

An Atiku presidency beckons on the horizon, and the mood in the polity confounds to this imminent truth. Beyond anything, he is a far better political choice for the soul of Nigeria compared to the Peter Obi & Bola Tinubu. Like Abraham Lincoln who transformed America’s fate for the better from a deeply tumultuous state, Atiku appears similarly duty-bound to recover Nigeria from the shambles of past political misdeeds. It took persistence for Abraham Lincoln to get to the position of the President where he had the power to end slavery in America, having created civil and social freedom for African Americans. And contemporarily, it is the same nature of persistence we find in Atiku, the kind that will emancipate Nigerians from the shackles of suffering and bad governance.