Pondering Atiku’s defection to PDP

The resignation of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has set a new tone for vibrant opposition in the country. The move has again reinforced the belief that democratic governments will always come short of meeting the aspirations of the electorates once vibrant opposition is lacking.  It is a known fact that the President MohammaduBuhari Federal Government has performed abysmally since he came into office. Hunger and grinding poverty have since became the gift of APC to Nigerians; yet APC pretends that all is well with the long-suffering people. APC could afford before now to remain complacent with its poor performance because no visible opposition was in sight. But the move by Atiku has since changed the complacent mind set of APC leaders. Little wonder that President Buhari inaugurated a Minimum Wage Review Committee the very day Atiku resigned from the ruling party.

It is quite laughable when some uninformed Nigerians describe Atiku’s move as something expected from a serial defector. These preposterous comments remind me of a Yoruba proverb that says a man in whose interest an entire family engaged another family in a fight still complained of being disturbed by the ensuing noise from the brawl. It is rather unfortunate that some Nigerians still cannot perceive Atiku in the light of a man with unusual democratic credentials and who will ordinarily not stay in any political party where the interest of the masses is not accorded premium attention.

Nigerians must also appreciate the fact that Atiku is an entrepreneur and a successful business man who has all it takes to turn around the wobbling economy of the country. It is a fact that the Nigerian economy is in a mess today because President Buhari can simply not give what he does not have. A pointer to the economic credentials of President Buhari is in his assets declaration form  where he admitted his inability to grow his herd of cows beyond 150 heads in more than 12 years. Comparatively, Atiku has proven that he has the acumen to grow money and create values. His foray into the world of business after his retirement from Nigerian Customs has proven his capacity to manage men, resources and excel in businesses.

Of a truth, the resignation of Atiku from the APC has sent jitters down the spines of the party’s chieftains. In the inner recess of the minds of most APC leaders is the realisation that Nigerians are only willing to tolerate them till May 2019.     Only an individual with a shallow appreciation excellence would expect a progressive politician in the mould of Atiku to still remain in the fold of a party that is without performance direction and is already failure-bound. Atiku would only be doing himself and Nigerians a major disservice if he had remained in APC in view of economic hardships being experienced by the masses. No man that possesses  even a half measure of the democratic antecedents of Atiku would ever be satisfied being in a party like the APC when he can actually give the longsuffering masses a new lease of life through another political platform.

The cult like popularity of President Buhari in the NorthEast and North-West must be acknowledged. But the two zones alone cannot win the presidential election for the APC. The average Nigerian man and woman in the remaining four geographical zones of North Central, South-East, South South and South-West are already disillusioned with the government and they are itching for the opportunity of 2019 election to ease him out of power. The majority of Nigerian youths and women that have been let down by the government are all waiting in the wings to make statements with their votes come 2019 general election.

It will not be any surprising if some people resort to unleashing the familiar propaganda against Atiku by labelling him as a crook. This would at worst amount to a familiar tune for Atiku and Nigerians at large. Records have it that no court of competent jurisdiction any where in the world and Nigeria inclusive has ever convicted Atiku of any corruption charge.  Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, like any other mortal, is not a saint and he sure has his own shortcomings like everyone else. But his high qualities far outweigh his shortcomings. What Nigerians desire at this material time is not a saint because there is none;  but a competent hand that can better their lots. Some Nigerians are already rejoicing over the resignation of Atiku from the APC because it actually represents the first step in ensuring that an end comes to their suffering.

• Salako is based in Akure, Ondo State