2023: THE FATE OF ATIKU IN ASO ROCK.

TrackNews Political Commentary By Adeleye Kunle

The 2023 general election, which is set to begin in February, promises to be exciting and tense, TrackNews reports.

Unlike in 2019, when the race was solely between President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the battle this time will be between the PDP candidate (Atiku), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Tinubu of APC.

The political scene is already charged, and excitement is high that there are more options than in 2019. Atiku emerged from a rancor-free primary election, but observers say there was a lot of wheeling and dealing.

Peter Obi, who had resigned from the PDP a few days before the party’s convention and stepped down from his presidential bid on that platform, joined the Labour Party to pursue his dream of re-engineering the country.

The APC, on the other hand, picked its standard bearer after playing a “mind game”

Abubakar Atiku

He is not a newcomer to the political scene in Nigeria. He is a brilliant politician and a political juggernaut. Atiku, a master strategist who has made a name for himself in the business and education sectors, has promised to unite the country. He has consistently claimed to be a “Unifier,” and he makes no apologies for what he intends to do as the chief occupant of Aso Rock in Abuja.

The politician is a detribalised Nigerian who has built bridges across the country over the years. As a Moslem, this is evident in his choice of wives. He chose one from each of the major groups. His major businesses’ Board of Trustees (BoT) chairmen are from regions other than the north. In his hometown of Yola, he established one of the best higher education institutions in the country, the American University of Nigeria (AUN). The university is led by the brightest minds in education, and its president is an American (Vice Chancellor). A visit to the institution would persuade any skeptic that with Atiku as Nigeria’s next President, industrial actions by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would be a thing of the past. The AUN provides financial assistance to deserving students. A number of the girls who escaped from the Boko Haram den on that fateful day in 2014, when the terrorists abducted hundreds of schoolgirls, found shelter and rehabilitation at AUN. On AUN’s scholarship, some students are also studying in other parts of the world. As they graduated from AUN and other institutions, a number of those girls have gained hope.

Atiku’s business success has benefited everyone in his home state of Adamawa, particularly those in the Yola Township. From real estate to manufacturing to media, he has built formidable institutions that contribute significantly to the country’s economy. Despite being a Moslem by religion, Atiku is open-minded and accepts the views of people of other faiths.

When he ran against Buhari in 2019, he performed so admirably that some Nigerians still believe he was cheated out of victory. However, because Buhari will not be on the ballot in 2023, pundits believe his chances will be better this time.

“Weeks ago, was a momentous episode in our march to reclaim our dear country,” Atiku said in a message sent out the morning after the party’s primary. Although I was aware that there was considerable concern about the election’s outcome, I was confident that with God on our side and based on the enormous effort that everyone had put in, we would come out on top. That’s exactly what happened!

“However, this victory is insufficient. It is, indeed, an additional call to duty. Now that delegates from our great party, the People’s Democratic Party, have done their part, it is up to you and me to present as ONE to complete the task.

“Permit me to remind you, dear compatriot, what this job is all about. The task at hand is to ensure that we uproot the vestiges of bad governance represented by the ruling All Progressives Congress and begin to plant our UNITY SEED, which will give birth to the New Nigeria of our dreams.

Last week, I released an abbreviated version of my policy document, which includes information about my 5-point UNITY SEED agenda.

“Dear fellow citizen, I’ll assume you’ll remember the information in this policy document. Ours will be a focused and disciplined campaign, and I will urge you to prepare for the task ahead as we embark.

Weeks ago victory is yet another chapter in our historic journey to redeem our country. It is my hope that on this day, May 29, next year, we will be able to collaborate in a government that will accommodate all Nigerians, particularly the youth.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar finally assured that he will unify the country and return the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) back to power in 2023.