Shortly after one of his spokesmen, Ola Olateju, a professor, reported former vice president Atiku Abubakar as placing his desire to help rebuild Nigeria above his ambition to be president, another spokesman, Tunde Olusunle, quickly corrected what he described as the wrong impression given of the former vice president’s political ambition. Dr Olusunle then went on to quote Alhaji Atiku as considering his ambition indistinguishable from the goals of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party the coalition of opposition parties hope to use to win the presidency. Of course both Alhaji Atiku and Dr Olusunle sadly misjudged the altruism Prof Olateju tried to insinuate into the former vice president’s ambition. Instead, the second spokesman colourfully suggested that the “ADC is leading a potent mass movement which will shock the world (in 2027)”, and would “upstage the status quo in a way which will leave doubters dumbstruck.” Phew!!!
Instead of admitting ADC’s clumsiness and hesitations in organising itself, and instead of accepting blame for taking over the party and nearly running it aground, Alhaji Atiku has reportedly blamed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for ridiculing the coalition party and promoting discord in the opposition. The former vice president has not disclosed how he would enact the shock and awe, but the world remembers with sardonic amusement how some two to three years ago Iran had threatened and promised to dismantle Israel should it attack its proxy forces in Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen. Israel took only 12 days last June to dismantle Iran. What Alhaji Atiku and the ADC need to do is boast less and organise more. But, like Peter Obi of the LP/ADC/PDP, having never had to set up a party nor run it for any length of time, the former vice president has proved that his forte is talking the talk. Talking the talk, he has determined, is more agreeable and far gentler on his ageing frame and less demanding on his desperate mind.
Credit:The Nation