The emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, brought to an end a cliff-hanging chapter in Nigeria’s political odyssey. In a keenly contested primary election that dragged into the morning of Sunday, October 7th, Atiku clinched the coveted PDP presidential ticket ahead of other political heavyweights including Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Senate President David Mark and Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo among others.
Indeed, it is only fitting that he got the ticket. A founding member of the PDP and former Vice President, this is the first time he would be the party’s flag-bearer. He contested for the preisdency on the platform of the Action Congress in 2007 but did not get the ticket in the intervening election cycles until now. His emergence has no doubt thrown the socio-political and economic milieu into uncontrolled excitement. Everyone now wants a real change! Everybody wants Atiku!
The Waziri of Adamawa is a proven businessman with interests in different sectors including energy, shipping and education among others. He is, by effect, one of Nigeria’s largest employers. Thus, the consensus is that for a man who has done so well with his private ventures, he would turnaround Nigeria’s floundering economy.
This is a sentiment shared by the Senior Pastor of Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, a known Buhari advocate, who was one of the first to congratulate Atiku on his emergence as PDP’s presidential candidate. The candid cleric said Atiku’s victory would make the 2019 election keen and interesting as it meant the battle for the presidency would be a tough contest between him and President Muhammadu Buhari.
He added that both the president, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Abubakar were equal match and it is Nigerians that would decide between the two. “I congratulate him (Abubakar), he makes the issue in 2019 more robust. It is not going to be an eaglet versus an eagle (contest) but an eagle versus eagle: an old eagle versus new eagle and probably both of them old eagles,” Bakare said.
Like a phoenix, he has risen above adversities and adversaries to become PDP’s substantive presidential candidate. Instructively, the Waziri – his traditional title – knows he hasn’t come this far on his own strength or skills; he has had the good fortune of having dependable and savvy lieutenants around him, otherwise illustrious people who swear by his name and would hug the sky if it would make him happy.
They strove for success with perfect understanding of the magnitude of the odds that lay ahead their paths to glory. There is no gainsaying the political terrain is like a wilderness riddled with storms. But despite its inherent dangers, these men and women navigate through its perilous paths with a stubborn resolve and unyielding spirit, like bog-hardened seekers.
Credited for being nationalistic in outlook in comparison with his patently and unapologetically nepotistic major opponent in the 2019 presidential contest, Atiku has some of Nigeria’s best brains in his corner and they cut across varying pedigree and profession, sex and tribe. They are the ones The Capital proudly labels The King’s Men.
Otunba Gbenga Daniel
For Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is a herculean task brilliantly accomplished. A two-term Governor of Ogun State, successful businessman and first class engineering product of the University of Lagos, OGD as he is also known did not start this journey with Atiku. While contesting for the chairmanship position of the PDP last year, Daniel openly showed his loyalty to Atiku which did not go down too well with some power brokers. He lost the seat; then, Atiku appointed him Director-General of the Atiku Campaign Organisation. Daniel took on the role like it was the only thing left to achieve in his celebrated private and political life. OGD crisscrossed the length and breadth of Nigeria; embracing and corralling different socio-political interests; propagating the ideals and vision of his principal and why he is the best for Nigeria. It is to his credit that Atiku was enthusiastically voted for by majority of the southwest delegates at the PDP primary and ultimately clinching the ticket.
Peter Obi
On the totem pole of who is likely to emerge as Atiku’s running mate, former governor of Anambra State, the whispery-voiced Peter Obi, ranks high. Before politics, he was a successful banker and the youngest ever chairman of Fidelity Bank Plc. Since the end of his two terms as governor, Obi has served as chairman of the Security and Exchange Commission while earning accolades and winning over a vast and active fandom because of his straight-talking, no-holds-barred posturing on the public speaking circuit. All along, he has also been unequivocal about his support for an Atiku candidacy and contributes immensely to some of Atiku’s policy papers. And not a few Nigerians are looking forward to an Atiku-Obi ticket.
Jennifer Atiku
Jennifer has been the most maligned wife of Atiku for staying the course with a man she had vowed to ride or die with. The highly cerebral woman of Igbo extraction has had to sacrifice a lot to protect her man. Many had expressed pessimism about the former NTA newscaster’s marriage to Atiku, presuming that she would dump the union when the strokes of her husband’s political persecution were extended to her. She has disappointed them all. A lawyer and Ph.D holder, the beautiful mother of three is a combination of beauty and brains, the latter which she has extensively deployed into making the Atiku brand very formidable.
Uyi Giwa-Osagie
Atiku has this enviable distinction for head-hunting brilliant brains across the world. Uyiekpen Giwa-Osagie is one of them. Uyi’s faith in Atiku is rock-hard. He is one loyalist whose strong resolve about Atiku is time-tested. An accomplished energy and commercial transactions lawyer, Uyi is vastly experienced in corporate and investment law, power, energy and infrastructure law and transaction structuring. Endowed with in-depth knowledge of corporate culture/structure and vast board room experience, Uyi has played pivotal roles in cementing a significant number of business deals across various business sectors. He is an integral part of Atiku’s Think-tank.
Oyin Adeyemi
In the reckoning of Oyin Adeyemi, not many global leaders possess the sentience and spunk of Atiku Abubakar. And she must have well-founded reasons for this unstinting belief. By all imaginable indices a successful woman, Oyin bows to Atiku’s business acumen and sharp mind, qualities she has told close friends are essential if Nigeria were to move forward. She pulls a lot of strings behind the scene for the Atiku campaign organisation. Oyin describes Atiku as a General with whom she would march behind to any war come rain, come shine. Oyin’s path crossed with Atiku’s when she had the opportunity to be a member of the policy and strategy team of his campaign years back. Easy on the eye,very reserved and blessed with a first class brain. The MSc holder in Political Economy and Development Studies who also undertook the Owner/President Management Program of Harvard Business School, USA, runs the behemoth construction and real estate company, StillEarth, and is fanatical about her belief in Atiku’s brand of political leadership and in view of her rise in business and the fact that her forecasts always seem to be spot on, it is worth following Oyin’s prodding about Atiku.
Akin Kekere-Ekun
Akin Kekere-Ekun, a Director of Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc, is an expert in relationship and portfolio management, financial advisory and bank management with over 30 years contribution to national financial issues. An alumnus of the Oklahoma State University, Long Island University and Harvard Business School, Kekere-Ekun has a long standing relationship with Atiku, which has culminated in his appointment as Chairman of the American University of Nigeria in Adamawa State (founded by Atiku)
Peter Okocha
In 2005, at the launch of the Peter Okocha Foundation (POF), Atiku said his relationship with Okocha spanned 25 years, during which they (Atiku and Okocha) identified that a common bond of empathy and humaneness existed between them. Mathematically, Peter, Chairman at Woodgrant Limited, has had almost four decades of association with Atiku without regrets. Even when local politics of Okocha’s domain dictated otherwise, the Delta State born billionaire philanthropist has always been under the same umbrella with Atiku.
YOMI EDU
Yomi Edu is a Lagos-born politician and astute businessman. He was a Minister of Special Duties under President Olusegun Obasanjo. In spite of being an Obasanjo appointee, he, like many other appointees then, pitched their tent with the sagacious Atiku. Regarded as one of the go-to-guys whenever Atiku needed political direction, Edu played no less a significant role in his emergence as PDP’s presidential candidate.
Mustafa Chike-Obi
Mustafa Chike-Obi is Executive Vice Chairman at Alpha African Advisory. He has over 25 years of investment banking experience working with reputable global investment banking and asset management firms. He provides overall leadership at Alpha African Advisory and has direct oversight over the capital raising division. Prior to joining Alpha African Advisory, he was the inaugural CEO of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), a government-backed institution established to resolve the problem of non-performing loan assets of Nigerian banks after the 2008 global financial crisis. Chike-Obi believes so much in Atiku and has been a die-hard supporter and confidant
Pariah
This amiable man is one of the loyalists whose strong resolve about Atiku is time-tested. They have been together for over 30 years. Very honest and easy going, Atiku loves and respects Pariah a lot because, in spite of his wealth, he is sensitive to the common man’s plight and shies away from the limelight. A successful businessman in his own right, fair-skinned Pariah is described as intellectually solid and clinical in his dissection of issues. And he is unwavering in his support and advocacy for an Atiku presidency as the only way out for Nigeria.
Yaya Abubakar
Yaya Abubakar does not mince words about his predilection for Atiku as the best person at the moment that should preside over the affairs of Nigeria. Atiku’s business acumen and sharp mind are said to always awe Yaya. He believes so much in the Atiku brand and his capacity and competence to turn Nigeria around.
