If there is one thing I like about Atiku, that will be his guts. Give it to this guy, he’s got it! He may be rotten, but he has shown he’s by far a better master of the game of politics than OBJ. He has staying power. He has also shown that OBJ is dirty and partial.
Unfortunately I don’t see the Senate doing much about Atiku’s allegations which are articulately discussed in Nigerian Politics blog – and just as the blogger opines, these need to be investigated thoroughly.
The emergence of Yar A’dua as the PDP candidate and who is most likely to be the next president means this it’s likely we won’t hear about this PTDF scam again come 2007 (Atiku persecution or prosecution may continue though). Now this makes me, somehow, want to see Atiku in the presidential race, yes he is tanished, but it seems the man has learn’t his lessions. And given the stress and humiliation he has gone through, he may be a better candidate than this Yar’Adua/Jonathan combo. Besides, this will ensure that the sleazy deeds of OBJ (if any) and his cronies be revealed for all to see. But for Atiku to be given even the slightest reckoning, he needs someone of the caliber and integrity of Duke or Utomi to deputize him, and that all opposition parties back him up.
Yeah, this is a twisted way to think, but this is what the present powerplay in Nigeria calls for. The zillion parties hustling to field candidates only increases PDP chances; I don’t believe Buhari’s ANPP or Utomi’s ADC can face the political machinery of the PDP. The opposition must come together against the PDP if it must be defeated and present one candidate.
All the Senate needs to do is ensure Atiku is allowed to run on any party platform he chooses without further harassment from the presidency. Let the Nigerian people judge if he’s fit to lead or not. After all, the highest authority in the land – court of law – has ruled that he has no case to answer to any of the allegations brought against him by the presidency and EFCC. The court even ruled that his suspension from the PDP was flawed and against the party constitution.
It is impartial to have OBJ go scot free while Atiku continues to face the music alone. Neither is it right to have a Sharia law enforcer (Yar A’dua) be the president and deputized by the spouse of a money launderer (Jonathan). Let’s level the playing field a little and let the people decide who leads. This how I see it, twisted but fair.
**Update. see Sanaga Peregrinations: Quick hits on Nigerian politics – 24/12/2006
Interesting post.
I’m sure 1,000 parties will run, rather than one opposition candidate.
December 20, 2006 at 5:23 pm
[...] While the statement of the president did confirm that the EFCC is being used as an apparatus to settle political scores, it also lent more credence to the believe that the face-off between Obasanjo and Atiku (the deputy president), is politically motivated. [...]
February 7, 2007 at 1:27 am