What is Atiku up to?
From 1993 Social Democratic Party (SDP) convention in Jos, Plateau State, where MKO Abiola emerged presidential candidate, I have followed Alhaji Abubakar Atiku politically and, without sounding immodest, can claim
- By Louis Odion
From 1993 Social Democratic Party (SDP) convention in Jos, Plateau State, where MKO Abiola emerged presidential candidate, I have followed Alhaji Abubakar Atiku politically and, without sounding immodest, can claim to be authority on Atiku’s electioneering tactics and strategy. He believes solely in the deployment of resources at conventions.
Unlike the 2015 general election when the All Progressives Congress (APC) had at least 11 sitting governors and therefore, with huge financial war-chest, Atiku, the putative “candidate of habit” (apologies to the inimitable satirist, Dr Tunji Dare), was obviously already agonising that he would be facing well entrenched APC in 2027 without a single sitting governor.
Now broke, Atiku needs sponsors to finance his Marabout-propelled presidential ambition.
In 2019, he had picked Obi as runningmate. But it is said that he was livid that parsimonious Obi didn’t contribute much to campaign financing. Hence, his ditching Obi in 2023.
Recall that in 2023, Ibn Dubai Atiku leaned on then Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to pick up the bulk of campaign financing.
Now, on the road to 2027, Atiku is surrounded by broke men in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who sometimes look up to him for something as basic as money for flight tickets to attend meetings and logistics for use of press releases, including the N100k for “data boys” and “influencers” each scattered across WhatApp groups.
Kwankwaso just lost his “feeding bottle” in Kano. Obi “does not give shishi”.
Rauf Aregbesola only spends on Alfas, marabouts and spiritualists.
Of this procession of famished men whose “savings” before President Muhammadu Buhari left power in May 2023 have since been decimated by the subsequenty, only Seyi Makinde of Oyo would appear the one with “cash flow” presently as sitting governor.
Reason Atiku has programmed him to be his runningmate in 2027.
Go and mark it, they will start fighting once Atiku emerges and Makinde is named running mate. That is, the only ATM machine that is functioning within.
- Louis Odion, a commentator, wrote from Abuja
