Atiku picked Peter Obi as his running mate.

I am particularly excited that a few days after he emerged as the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku picked Peter Obi as his running mate.

Casmir Igbokwe

There is excitement in the air. There is also anxiety. It is partly because of the 2019 general election; and partly because of the prospect of having another change at the seat of power in Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressives Congress came to power in 2015 on the pedestal of change. They promised Nigerians heaven on earth. Unfortunately, that has turned out to be a mirages.

Currently, there is untold hardship in the land. Many people have lost their jobs. Some work without salaries. Some have committed suicide. Some others have sold their children and have had to do all manner of odd things to survive.

Do we talk of herdsmen and sundry criminals who kill people like cows? Do we talk of the insincere fight against corruption? Do we talk of a large chunk of the population who feel alienated from the scheme of things, the major appointments that go to a particular section of the country? Things have never been this bad. Many Nigerians have only resigned to fate and prayers.

But the cheery news is that a lot of individuals have promised to rescue Nigeria. Many political parties actually have good candidates who can do it. 

But the reality is that only two major parties, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have the financial muscle and the structure to win the general election.

My earlier intervention on this page says it all. In the story, entitled “2019 presidential contenders and pretenders,” (see Daily Sun of Monday, September 3, 2018) I noted that, among all the presidential aspirants, Atiku Abubakar would be the one to give the incumbent President a good fight.

I had written, “Top on the list of the PDP contenders is former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar. The man has been mobilising and seeking support across the country. He is a successful businessman with a lot of investments in Nigeria. 

He is detribalised and cosmopolitan and has the ability to give Buhari a great challenge in the election…

“As a tested businessman who understands the intricacies of wealth creation, Atiku appears well equipped to transform this country, if given the opportunity … 

To pull Nigeria out of the woods, her President must have the mental ability of a Lee Kuan Yew and the business acumen of a Dangote.”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo put it better: “For me, relatively and of all the aspirants in the PDP, you have the widest and greatest exposure, experience, outreach and possibly the best machinery and preparation for seeing the tough and likely dirty campaign ahead through. 

From what I personally know of you, you have capacity to perform better than the incumbent. You surely understand the economy better; you have business experience, which can make your administration business-friendly and boost the economy and provide jobs.

“You have better outreach nationally and internationally and that can translate to better management of foreign affairs. You are more accessible and less inflexible and more open to all parts of the country in many ways.”

Similarly, the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had, two years ago, reportedly heaped praises on Atiku. In a letter to felicitate with the former Vice-President on his 70th birthday, Tinubu reportedly said, 

“Your life has been a life of service to your people, your country and the causes you believe in. Nigeria has been well-served by your stewardship and leadership … 

Do not relent because Nigeria needs you and others like you to continue to make life more meaningful.”

Obviously, there are some others who do not like the man for one reason or the other. But the truth is that no human being is ever liked by everybody. 

The most important thing is that the prospect of rescuing Nigeria is getting brighter.

I am particularly excited that a few days after he emerged as the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku picked Peter Obi as his running mate. Without mincing words, that is also a great choice.