Can he inherit Buhari’s ‘10m votes?’
By Alade Adisa
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar qualifies to be labelled Nigeria’s political journeyman.
Who is a journeyman one may ask? A journeyman is a skilled worker who has completed an apprenticeship and is qualified to work in their trade, typically for an employer.
They are experienced, competent workers but not necessarily masters of their craft. And recent actions of Atiku point him in the direction of somebody who may not be a master of his craft.
READ ALSO: 2027: Atiku Abubakar formally resigns from PDP
He cut his political teeth under the late General Shehu Musa Yar‘Adua, who was the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters to the then Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo, from February 1976 to October 1979.
After the military sent the civilian government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari packing, the General Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was also overthrown by General Ibrahim Babangida.
The latter played with various political permutations under which General Yar Adua formed the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM.
It was in the PDM that Atiku rose to prominence. Babangida finally created the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP and the National Republican Convention, NRC.
When General Sani Abacha eventually died and a new political dispensation came into force, the PDM was one of the major blocs that formed the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
READ ALSO: Tinubu’s fuel subsidy removal plunged Nigerians into poverty – Atiku
Atiku was already an elected governor in Adamawa State before Obasanjo, the presidential candidate of the PDP, nominated him as his running mate, and the duo won the 1999 presidential election.
Since 1999, Atiku has left the PDP and come back three times. He left the party in 2007 for the then Action Congress, AC. Went back and later left to form the All Progressives Congress, APC, with others. He came back again and has now left.
Why the movement up and down?
Atiku is doing all the defections for no other reason than to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Atiku ran unsuccessfully for President of Nigeria six times, in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.
He did not get the ticket for his party on three occasions, but got the ticket and lost in the general elections in 2007, 2019 and 2023.
Can he inherit Buhari’s 10 million votes?
Since the announcement by Atiku on Wednesday that he has resigned from the PDP to join the African Democratic Congress, ADC, tongues have been wagging that he could be the one to now enjoy the cult following that Buhari enjoyed while alive.
Before Buhari finally contested and won at the fourth attempt in 2015, he had contested thrice almost single-handedly and was able to muster over 10 million votes on each occasion. It was the coalition with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and others that gave him the necessary edge in 2015.
Some political pundits are of the view that Atiku could now become the toast of the North. Some leaders of the region are bent on reclaiming the presidency for the region come 2027.
Commenting on the development, a member of the State Caretaker Committee of the PDP in Ekiti State, Mr Jackson Adebayo, said many things would still unfold in the political sphere.
“With the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, a sort of vacuum has been created regarding the political leadership of the North, and somebody has to fill it.
“However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar can be the next political leader there, but a lot of things would still happen. Those going into the coalition would have agreed among themselves how to share the various positions,” he said.
