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2019: Atiku’s Costly Mistake By Enameguolo Orugbo

October 15, 2018

Yesterday it was Sai Baba, Nigeria is yet to recover and Nigerians have been branded Wailing Wailers. Today, it is Daddy Cool. In a Daddy Cool’s presidency, what fate will befall the great people of Africa’s largest economy?

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Experience has never been the best teacher, ask the dead…Ena E. Orugbo

Recent events such as the Arab Spring and BRITEXIT, depicts that the populace across different climes and strata are easily swayed by the bandwagon effect. This is a growing concern due to the dearth of depth, tact and knowledge of the real impact of sudden viral fevers like the Atiku 2019 Bug. Yesterday it was Sai Baba, Nigeria is yet to recover and Nigerians have been branded Wailing Wailers. Today, it is Daddy Cool. In a Daddy Cool’s presidency, what fate will befall the great people of Africa’s largest economy? A cursory look at Atiku’s calculated political mistakes, raises a flag of a man with inept or no advisers who cannot articulate.

The 2003 Push

It is strange that the political class in Nigeria is yet to realize that they are the real victims of Nigeria’s exploitation that is a story for another day. Stopgap thinking was the root cause of Atiku’s political strangulation by his former boss. In 2003, green horns and fifth columnists pushed Atiku to contest against his principal. The permutations were to field Ekewume, South East as his Vice Presidential candidate. Daddy Cool declined the Greek gift after Obasanjo appealed to his instincts but went on to suffer for this second thought. Law 19, “know who you dealing with, do not annoy the wrong person”, quote from 48 Laws of Power.

The 2018 Regret

On a higher pedestal, Proverbs 23:7b says For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. Atiku said; “I took all the states with the exception of Lagos. Why? Because Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and I came a long way from the SDP, PDM and all of that, and I felt I should leave Lagos for him. In fact, I could easily have taken over Lagos, but I did not. I have since regretted my decision: please, my sisters and brother in the party, I want you to forgive me for taking Lagos out of that arrangement. If I have another opportunity again, Lagos will be taken to where it belongs. So I am appealing to you to give me that opportunity so that I can correct the mistakes that I made”.

The 2019 Mistake

The choice of Peter Obi as VP for Atiku was a mistake. Firstly, the sight of Emmanuel Macron in Lagos, is still fresh in the minds of Nigerian youths. A master stroke would have been to pick a 40 to 45 year old as his running mate. Secondly, the Yoruba’s have no basis to swap Buhari. Pastor Yemi Osibanjo is VP, Tinubu is experiencing heaven on earth, Amosun is Buhari’s BFF and Fashola oversees three ministries. Thirdly, the Igbos deserve but do not need the VP ticket because for them, Buhari is a No No. Fourthly, the South West has a higher voting strength than the South East. PDP should have dangled the gender card, female VP.

Conclusion

Obasanjo is at liberty to forgive for political expediency but actionable intelligence points that Atiku needs to change is lexis from “I” to “WE”. Daddy Cool’s defeat or victory at the polls is dependent on the sagacity of his inner team. The 2019 election is against a Sherriff who has issued a warning ticket by placing a travel ban on the famous 50. When Siemens was plagued with the bribery mess, Peter Loescher from General Electric was hired as CEO. This was against the tradition of the then 160 year old German conglomerate. It is crystal clear that all complex problems have a simple solution, it is called the power of detachment.

 

Dr. Enameguolo Orugbo

[email protected]