The Atiku advantage

A new vista of opportunity has opened in 2018 for the electorate in Africa’s largest democracy to rejig their political architecture, which, for many, arguably requires immediate restructuring for equity and national development.

This year, therefore, symbolically, heralds a new era of political activities and permutations nationwide.  With over 60 political parties gazing at the crystal ball of 2019 general elections, the country of 180 million citizens with multifarious challenges ranging from hunger and unemployment to ethno-religious conflicts and outright breakdown of law and order, is verily available for a comprehensive administrative reset and political reform.

Meanwhile, the race towards 2019 presents the would-be voters at party primaries and general elections with a classical choice of choosing from mere rookies and solid masters. In fact, it is obvious that there are few serious contenders to the throne and many clowns in flowing gowns pretending to aspire for the crown.

So, without prejudice and unequivocally speaking, only the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its arch rival the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can boast of the massive muscle and mileage across the country capable of putting a president in Aso Villa via the ballot box. The rest fledging parties are yet to develop the wings to fly in Nigeria’sinclement political windstorm. And the country, currently bedeviled by socio-economic and political malaise, may not be ready for awaiting-result politicians!

Succinctly put, the battle for Aso Rock in 2019 is one between two political titans in the country – APC versus PDP. But that’s a story for another day. Nonetheless, a concrete point peaks as a cynosure: the likely inability of the ruling APC to have a landslide victory and smooth sail to power next year. Many reasons may adduce for this seeming rough road. The party, lacking in cohesion and team spirit, has almost lost the confidence reposed in it by majority of the populace in 2015. Thus it has been scored below par in most of its rosy pledges as chronicled in APC manifesto.

Truly, the PDP is an active volcano gone dormant. But one that is awaiting eruption. The more reason its affairs as per who the party will feature to challenge incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential election, itches the skin of political analysts and of great public interest.

Precisely, many leading opinion leaders in the country are converging on scoring the present APC Federal Government low. Many reasons are being given by clerics, political watchers and the ordinary citizen for their conclusion. They allege and allude to a seeming absence of policy direction, reported nepotism in terms of appointments, ambiguous anti-corruption campaign, insensitivity to loss of human lives, abdication of role as citizens’ protector, doubtful economic resuscitation, fuel scarcity, poor infrastructure and power supply, rising unemployment and incessant breakdown of law and order.

However, the APC still stands as a strong political force that cannot be swept under the PDP umbrella without a thoughtful and strategic game plan; a plan purposefully hinged on a go-getter and an election-winning candidate who has charismatic mass appeal and the wherewithal to race the horse home triumphantly.

Currently, Nigeria and Nigerians are longing for a rescuer since their ‘Messianic expectation of 2015’ seems to be failing the litmus test on reality and pragmatism. With the country tilting towards the fault-lines of insecurity, disunity, disillusionment and hopelessness; many are vociferously searching for a leadership bailout.

The PDP as an alter ego to the APC must, therefore, take the bull by the horns and pedal hard to change its past adversity at the polls to prosperity, hostility to friendliness, apathy to sympathy and failure to success. How? By thinking out of the proverbial box in choosing a presidential standardbearer that cuts across the spectrum of society.

Such a leader must be patriotic and compassionate, politically experienced and commercially sensitive, innovation and technology compliant, people-centered and development oriented investor in education, job creator and wealth generator, detribalized and non-religious fanatic; also locally focused and globally connected. Who will this cap fit?

Meanwhile, it is pretty obvious that the Nigerian state is sitting on immense untapped natural resources with matching human endowment all of which requires the political dexterity and administrative acumen of an all-rounder leader to harmonise,synchronise and synergise, for the greater good of the greater majority of a yearning populace.

So without belabouring the point, the PDP is urged to screen their candidates for the primaries on the basis of the aforementioned and see whose camel can pass through the needle’s eye in terms of public acceptability and political correctness.

The PDP, without iota of doubt, has a legion of distinguished members who could aspire to the top job. However, methinks, only one candidate fits the billing on equity, restructuring, political sagacity, constitutional audacity, business astuteness, philanthropic pedigree, local understanding and global relationship, detribalised and non-fanatical, patriotic and compassionate, visionary team player, visible and accessible, youth mentor and bridge-builder and, most of all, a defender of democracy, statesman and selfless steward. Who is he? Your eyes may be on the same crystal ball as most of our fellow countrymen and women!

Nigerians as at today want former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.  He is tested and trusted. He will tickle everyone back to life if given the opportunity. His antecedents and overall performance indicators are too obvious to ignore in the current scheme of political permutations in the country. Like he once said, “people without business knowledge should not have business in government.” That is a well-articulated point of view. Apt and poignant.

Finally, PDP is now the cynosure of all eyes: let the party rescue Nigeria and Nigerians. Things could be done better. Let’s make our country and countrymen work again. Let a job creator do the job. Atiku is the man to beat.  After all, Lord Acton, British political philosopher once said that: “for forms of government, let the fools contest; whatever is best administered is best governed.”

• Alaba Yusuf, a strategic public commentator, wrote from Abuja.