By Paul Ibe
Akin Osuntokun’s newest intervention, titled “Atiku Abubakar Cannot Heckle His Way to the Presidency,” revealed in THISDAY on October 16, 2026, is a curious combination of selective historical past, political prejudice and recycled allegations masquerading as knowledgeable commentary.
It is outstanding that at a time when Nigerians are grappling with unprecedented financial hardship, insecurity and rising uncertainty about their future, Osuntokun considers it extra essential to excavate alleged personal conversations from over 20 years in the past in an try and disqualify former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from looking for the presidency.
Of specific curiosity is his resurrection of a narrative attributed to former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, who claimed that former army President Ibrahim Babangida as soon as informed President Olusegun Obasanjo that Atiku couldn’t rule Nigeria.
This is exactly the form of story by moonlight that should not have any place in severe political evaluation.
According to the account, Babangida allegedly pretended to have forgotten his keys, returned to Obasanjo’s personal research and whispered a warning about Atiku. We are then invited to deal with this extraordinary recollection of a supposed personal change as a definitive evaluation of Atiku’s presidential suitability.
But the place is the impartial corroboration? Has Babangida publicly authenticated these exact phrases? Even assuming, with out conceding, that the dialog occurred precisely as narrated, since when did an alleged personal judgment remodeled twenty years in the past develop into a everlasting disqualification from democratic management?
The irony is that Osuntokun chooses to dwell on what Babangida allegedly stated in personal whereas conveniently sidestepping what Obasanjo subsequently declared in public.
On October 11, 2018, Obasanjo overtly endorsed Atiku for the presidency. He acknowledged their previous disagreements, reconciled together with his former deputy and supplied an unambiguous evaluation of his management credentials.
His phrases should be recalled: “You surely understand the economy better.”
Obasanjo went additional, praising Atiku’s enterprise expertise, nationwide and worldwide attain, accessibility and capability to offer management superior to that of the incumbent administration.
These weren’t nameless whispers behind closed doorways. They had been public declarations made earlier than political leaders, non secular figures and the Nigerian media.
Indeed, Obasanjo acknowledged that there had as soon as been an understanding for Atiku to succeed him. That documented admission is significantly extra related than Osuntokun’s speculative reconstruction of conversations from one other political period.
One would have anticipated a commentator involved with historic accuracy to reconcile these information moderately than cherry-pick episodes that reinforce his most well-liked conclusion.
As for Babangida, any severe examination of his evaluation of Atiku should account for the total historical past of their political relationship, together with subsequent engagements, moderately than elevate an uncorroborated comment into an everlasting verdict.
Neither Obasanjo nor Babangida holds a hereditary franchise to find out who could govern Nigeria. Whatever they could have thought of Atiku at completely different factors of their political lives, the ultimate authority belongs to the Nigerian citizens.
Osuntokun additionally means that Atiku’s age and repeated presidential contests ought to persuade him to give up his ambition and develop into a mentor to youthful politicians.
This argument is as selective as it’s unpersuasive.
If age, expertise and repeated electoral contests are legit topics of political scrutiny, they have to apply equally to all candidates, together with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They can not out of the blue develop into disqualifying concerns just because the candidate underneath examination is Atiku Abubakar.
Age doesn’t confer competence, however neither does it mechanically extinguish it. The acceptable questions concern judgment, capability, coverage, integrity and the power to assemble a reputable governing group.
Atiku has supplied Nigerians his expertise in public administration, financial administration, enterprise improvement and nationwide management. These credentials are open to legit scrutiny, simply as Tinubu’s efficiency after greater than three years in workplace have to be subjected to rigorous examination.
On zoning, Osuntokun advances the argument that one other northern presidency would violate an expectation that energy ought to stay within the South for eight years.
Regional stability is essential to nationwide cohesion. But zoning is a political association, not a constitutional prohibition towards certified Nigerians looking for elective workplace.
More importantly, it can not develop into an instrument for shielding an incumbent from accountability.
Nigerians are entitled to contemplate regional fairness alongside competence, efficiency, nationwide safety and financial survival. It is for voters, not columnists, to determine how these concerns ought to affect their ballots.
Osuntokun’s try and painting Atiku because the principal architect of opposition fragmentation is equally simplistic.
The disaster throughout the opposition can not credibly be attributed to at least one particular person whereas ignoring the ambitions, decisions and conduct of different political actors. Political events are collective establishments, and accountability for his or her successes and failures have to be assessed accordingly.
Atiku has participated in efforts to construct a broader opposition coalition and now leads the ADC presidential ticket alongside Rotimi Amaechi. Whether that coalition persuades Nigerians is a matter to be settled democratically, not by predetermined assertions about his supposed unelectability.
Then there’s Osuntokun’s fascination with Atiku addressing the President as “Bola.”
When did addressing a public official by his given identify develop into a constitutional offence or a measure of political desperation?
Bola is the President’s identify, not an insult. Those who regard its use as an affront ought to clarify why the substance of public accountability issues much less to them than presidential titles.
The actual political air pollution will not be calling a president by his identify. It is the rising tendency to deal with legit criticism of public officeholders as an act of disrespect.
What Nigerians require from political commentators is a looking examination of governance. How have the administration’s financial insurance policies affected family incomes? What has occurred to the buying energy of wages? How safe are communities? What measurable reduction has reached strange Nigerians?
These questions deserve extra consideration than an alleged dialog about misplaced keys in Aso Rock greater than twenty years in the past.
Osuntokun is entitled to his preferences, prejudices and political conclusions. He is even entitled to consider that Atiku shouldn’t be President. What he isn’t entitled to is the pretence that his private judgment constitutes the decision of the Nigerian individuals.
In a democracy, presidential ambition is neither granted nor extinguished by the approval of political columnists.
On January 16, 2027, Nigerians can have the chance to look at the competing candidates, consider their information, think about their proposals and train their constitutional proper to find out who governs them.
They won’t be required to seek the advice of Osuntokun’s most well-liked political historical past earlier than casting their ballots.
Atiku Abubakar doesn’t require Akin Osuntokun’s permission to hunt the presidency, any greater than Bola Tinubu requires his endorsement to pursue re-election.
Both should submit themselves to the sovereign judgment of Nigerians. Ultimately, Atiku’s presidential destiny shall be decided by the votes of Nigerians, not by Akin Osuntokun’s biases, recycled anecdotes or tales by moonlight.
That is democracy. And that’s the verdict that issues.
•Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar, writes from Abuja.
