Atiku Showdown: OBJ Draws First Blood

By Fred Igbeare

As the Nigerian political jungle rumbles, the final showdown between the president and his deputy kicks off with a huge bang as the 2007 elections draw nearer.  OBJ has struck first blood with the reported move to impeach his VP who is responding likewise blow for blow.  In this ruckus, no one, it seems, is constrained to fight fair.  As the world watches, the Nigerian Press is providing a courtside view of this entertaining and revealing spectacle.

This day, it is exciting to be a Nigerian.  Politicians are exposing their opponent’s dirty laundry in plain public view!  I love democracy.  Under military rule, either Atiku or OBJ would be dead by now, either from each other’s missiles or from other forces.  This fight must be fought in the legislature, the judiciary and ultimately through the ballot box.  Both sides have had ardent supporters locked in a continuing proxy war which would hopefully not escalate into violent confrontation.

If this war of the titans doesn’t degenerate into a gunfight, Nigerian democracy stands to gain tremendously.  It promises to help build up our democratic institutions, ensuring that no one presumes to stand above the law or the people’s will.  We may finally be moving into a new dimension, a new era where the politics of ideas takes priority over the politics of personalities.  Right now, the personalities dominate.

Let’s jump ahead to speculate on the possible outcomes of this personality slugfest.  One scenario sees Atiku’s impeachment succeeding in the legislature which weighs down his political career.  He remains a strong king maker though.  Being dogged fighters, the Atiku camp then regroups to back an anti-Obasanjo candidate in the presidential elections.  That candidate wins, giving the VP the last laugh, somewhat.  What promises to be fascinating is the reported presence of seasoned election riggers in both camps.  They may just cancel each other out, resulting in a ballot that truly reflects the will of the people!

Let’s posit another scenario.  Atiku survives impeachment unscathed.  By schemes of sleek politicking, he captures the PDP nomination and goes on to win the presidential election.  Humbled, OBJ makes one of those post-third-term speeches, lauding the values of democracy and bowing to the will of the people.  Being the ever helpful diplomat and conciliator, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa sends OBJ another congratulatory letter.  Everybody lives happily ever after.  Quite unlikely but possible this scenario is.

So let’s try yet another one.  OBJ, IBB and Atiku cancel each other out, and Pat Utomi or some other new face miraculously clinches the crown!  To reach this point may not be so far-fetched considering, ironically, that Nigeria is still the land of the impossible.  Utomi (or others like him) may just embody the profile of a competent and sophisticated leader many Nigerians have long yearned for.  I don’t know the guy personally, but hey, you never know.  There is hope.

Alright, enough of this day-dreaming and back to reality (although dreams do come true, you know):  first things first.  How do we ensure that the Atiku/OBJ conflict doesn’t derail our democracy?  The following institutions have key roles to play.

At the National Assembly, the impeachment trial(s), if any comes up, must be openly conducted like the third-term deliberations.  As for the EFCC, to entrench its identity as an impartial organ, it must convincingly investigate allegations against the president and his associates. 

The press has been doing a wonderful, wonderful job.  Keep it up folks, and let the spotlight continue to shine in darkness!  For INEC, the task is to provide free and fair elections or we are doomed.  Voters be vigilant; don’t allow people to steal your votes and please insist that politician contest on the issues!  An informed electorate is the bedrock of any democracy.

With regards to the military, OBJ still has full control, but it must resist attempts to be manipulated for this or any other political dogfight.  Any soldier thinking of cooking up a military coup should perish the thought or be prepared to perish.  On their part, the Police and other security services must not join in rigging elections or persecuting political opponents—that’s the least they should do.

Ultimately, all roads terminate at the judiciary in adjudicating disputes.  If this OBJ/Atiku conflict or similar ones end up in the courts, both sides must resolve to respect the rule of law.  What this means is that a losing litigant doesn’t necessarily have to give up hope.  If you are the losing party, just obey the decision, even if it’s from the Supreme Court where appeal is not an option. 

Later on, you can fight back by changing or affecting the process for appointing judges, of course, without compromising judicial independence.  That way, you get to see a judge who agrees with you sitting on the bench in the next round of litigation.  It is not a perfect system, but this is the best we imperfect human beings have come up with so far.

On the whole, I have avoided the temptation to dig into the details of who mismanaged what or didn’t do what in the case against the VP.  I have also not bothered to examine the counter charges against OBJ, with some calling for both men to be impeached.  Those details are important, true.  However, we could get lost in the details and forget the bigger picture. 

Our overall focus, while still paying attention to the details, should be on protecting the democratic institutions.  They must survive the stress of this or other disconcerting battles!  We don’t want to miss another opportunity here to solidify our ongoing transformation into, hopefully, a democratic, peaceful and prosperous nation where the rights of the mighty and the powerless alike are protected.

 (fredlintaz@yahoo.com

Robot  Villager

# 1 If this war of the titans doesn’t degenerate into a gunfight, Nigerian democracy stands to gain t...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 08.09.2006 13:39

kvin33  Villager

# 2 I am surprised more people don't see the huge implications of what just happened. You make very salient points. For Atiku, and OBJ, there is no turning back now. The report cannot be retracted, ignored or destroyed. It is now fully in the public domain, and we MUST deal with it whether we like it or not. Precedents will be set, how this is handled will be a benchmark for future processes. You know this fight is so one-sided, I am surprised many believe Atiku has an equal shot at winning. This is not TTA when the law was on his side, the people on his side and OBJ on the prowl. He is on the wrong side of the law here! There are financial records, witnesses, wiretaps, statements already compiled by the FBI, and EFCC. There are admissions by Mrs Edu and other participants that unfortunately, bad blood or not, the NASS will find dificult to ignore. He'll impeach OBJ? OBJ is not running for president, Atiku is. It is easier in my opinion for OBJ to win than Atiku because if May 29, 2007 comes around and Atiku is still in front of the senate or in jail or in the spectators, OBJ wins period. Atiku wins if and only if he wins the election despite OBJ, now that is tough. He should be careful not to shout too loud that he is innocent, because nobody believes any one of them is clean. Posted by kvin33| 08.09.2006 16:40

robert  Villager

# 3 Great comic article….that’s all this is. It is okay to tickle ourselves in the face of looming doom while millions, the down trodden, are practically dying of hunger and malnutrition, and perhaps many more millions may never see the outcome of these great comics of our time. Perchance we are able to set aside the great humor of this showdown, realizing that freedom and democracy are never achieved by humor or passivity. We have a report, imperfect as it may be, but paid for by the ghost of our dead and living dead compatriots, revealing a serious national decay in governance that we all agree has done us in, a once promising nation and people. It would seem to me that now is the time to take a strong stand for whatever it is those of us still living hope to leave behind for the next generation. Posted by robert| 08.09.2006 17:44

Abraxas  Villager

# 4 Hi, folks! Words of Wisdom There are a lot of people out there who would rather fight fire with fire than fight fire with water. - Simon St. Laurent on chest beating Vs common sense as an approach to dealing with threats. Muchas gracias. Posted by Abraxas| 08.09.2006 20:07

gwobezentashi  Villager

# 5 @ Abraxas Tafa did "Fire for Fire" but his fire was directed at the people who were already under fire from the bandits. In the end Ribadu simply poured water on his fire and marched him off to Kuje! Posted by gwobezentashi| 09.09.2006 03:54

Profegee  Villager

# 6 Atiku has not only indirectly agreed that he is a thief, he has also confirmed that he is a liar. He claimed the transfer of PTDF fund has no correlation with those who eventually benefitted therefrom, he now gently gave in that there was "settlement" afterall. Secondly, he claimed he was denied the EFCC reports, how come he could differentiate between the "doctored" one (i.e. the fake) and the authentic. It is only in Nigeria that when you ask someone to account for his bad and fraudulent deeds, he tells you that others too did what he did. All these are also the dividends or proceeds from the N30,000.00 loan he got in those years. Who is fooling who? Hmm. Wonder shall never end. Is it not proper to apologize to Sunday Afolabi & Co. and Tafa Balogun? I think we rather need to thank God for answered prayers. Let's see what the NASS would do. This is indeed real national rebirth. We'd better start congratulating ourselves. Whichever way it ends it will be for the benefit of Nigeria. More properties would go back to the FG. Profegee Posted by Profegee| 09.09.2006 08:06

VOR  Villager

# 7 ATIKU EXPLODES! By ERIC OSAGIE, Abuja Saturday, September 9, 2006 Atiku Photo: Sun News Publishing National Index As controversy over alleged impeachment threat against Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over his alleged improper investments in communications giant, Globacom, rages, the No. 2 citizen has thrown a bombshell, revealing that President Olusegun Obasanjo has been no saint in the running of the nation's affairs. Speaking exclusively to your favourite Saturday Sun before Wednesday's final bust up between the two prominent citizens, Atiku sensationally revealed that if there is one person who has enriched himself in the past seven years, that person is certainly Obasanjo. His words: "When he keeps saying over and over again that I am corrupt, I keep looking at him. Because what I know is that he is richer than I am. He has made more money since he came into office than I have made." The Vice-President is facing charges of alleged illegal investments in Globacom, according to the EFCC investigations. At the tension-soaked Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, he was allegedly walked out by the president, after his issue had been tabled for deliberation. Atiku has consistently denied his culpability in the deal. By Thursday morning, the Atiku issue and the alleged impeachment threat had enveloped the confines of the National Assembly, splitting the two Houses into pro- and anti-impeachment legislators. However, Atiku insists, in the interview below, that he's been merely a victim of bad blood politics spearheaded by his estranged boss. He also spoke on the allegations of corruption frequently woven around him, amongst sundry issues... How come anytime your name crops up, it is often associated with corruption. There is also the allegation that as Chairman of National Council of Privatisation, you virtually sold the country to yourself? That was a propaganda emanating from some mischievous quarters. They wanted to use it to seriously damage my image. It did not start with the president, but later on the president's people also took it from there, and it became widespread everywhere. Then I said okay, if there is anybody who has any evidence that I sold any enterprise to myself, let him come out and prove it. As far as I'm concerned, I have not sold any enterprise to myself. Then El- Rufai came out some few years back and spoke very, very bluntly and told the public that there was never a time I either interfered or directed him to do anything contrary to due process. But it seems to have stuck. That is the general view. Remember the president's son granted an interview that you were going to buy up the whole country. It is a mere, mischievous propaganda. Does it worry you? It does not worry me because I am innocent. The truth will always prevail. So it is not true that the VP enriched himself during the privatisation? You see, government machinery is in his own hands now (Obasanjo). He should be able to investigate and find out whether I enriched myself through privatisation. Long, long time ago, if the man has anything against me, he would have finished me long time ago. Where did things go wrong? I mean here you were, he used to say this is my hand bag as it were and all of a sudden, you are both where you are in your relationship? I have not even spoken yet, I told you. Yes I mean at least you spoke out during the third term debacle? Well, I felt it was time I began to take positions on very very vital issues in the country because we are almost less than one year to an election and I intend to run. People must definitely want to know where I stand on certain issues. Have you told him you want to run? Yes, I have told him I want to run. He accepts it? Whether he accepts it or not it does not make any difference. In the past, they sacked your aides, and as we hear, they have done everything to cripple you, you maintain a silence that almost got some people angry. Why did you adopt that approach? Was it your own strategy or that is how you are? I know I have tremendous amount of patience. But I also realised that we are running a country and we needed to unify the country. If I began to pick on the president for a fight, the tendency is that we are going to divide the country into two. It will be the south, north, it will be the muslims and christains. And I did not want to do that. But that is where we are almost headed now? Well, not necessarily where we are now. The issue that divided the president and I was neither north nor south, neither Christian nor Muslim. It is third term, it is the issue of democracy. You granted an Interview to ThisDay and you said the president swore to you he was quitting in 2007. That interview seemed to have sparked off the immediate trouble. In fact, it was the president who tempted me with the presidency. How? Sometimes I think in year 2000, I walked out to him and said ' look Mr. president, you see after our two terms, me, you we should all go. I am not interested in becoming president so that fresh hands can come on board. He just looked at me and banged the table at my face and said 'look, I am not going to repeat the mistake I made in 1979. In 1979, I started so many things I handed over to somebody I did not know, Alhaji Shehu Shagari. He came and twenty years after I came back, I found the country where I left it. I believe by the time we spend 8 years together, you would have learnt so much and we would have achieved so much. But I believe by the time you will spend another 8 years, to continue from where I stopped, we would have reached a level where nobody can reverse this country backward again. So you must stay after 8 years and continue where I stopped, so that by the time you finish your own tenure, it would have been 16 years and we would have taken this country too far, to a level where nobody would come and reverse it. I said okay sir. He was the one who started that. So after we quarelled in 2003 and we came back, and there was peace meeting between me and him, and the chief of staff. I now asked the resident that are you not the same person who said so so to me? He said yes, I said have you changed your mind on that? He said no. Then I said what is all this fight about? There was no answer. So, from there I knew that the president wanted to continue himself. And then you granted an interview where you said he assured you and that made him really angry? Yes, because that was the basis for my saying in that interview that the president assured me that he was going after 8 years. You believed him then? I have learnt not to believe the president any longer, I am sorry about that. That is why I said there are certain things I will not want to publish now. You have consistently been demonised as corrupt, while the president is a prudent person. He is allegedly the one that is strict and saving money and you allegedly corrupt. How did that sink in? When he keeps saying over and over again that I am corrupt, I keep looking at him. Because what I know is that he is richer than I am. He has made more money since he came into office than I have made. I have no other ways of making any money other than my very, very legitimate business transactions. And I don't have a budget. I don't approve contracts. I don't have a vote, so where am I going to steal the money? Does it make you angry? It does not make me angry. Does it worry you? It does not. What for? Because I am not living on this government. I am not. They give me three basic things. They give me housing, food and transport. All the rest are minor expenses which I can afford sun news online Posted by VOR| 09.09.2006 09:42

InDiaspora  Villager

# 8 What really irks me about some of these our politicians is the absolute lack of finesse. Instead of VP Atiku to settle down to produce a detailed defence of the allegations levelled against him, he is busy giving interviews here and there. It's such a shame on us all the calibre of persons we have in such high offices. Just see who we have as Vice President.:rolleyes: Posted by InDiaspora| 09.09.2006 16:04

gwobezentashi  Villager

# 9 Instead of VP Atiku to settle down to produce a detailed defence of the allegations levelled against him, he is busy giving interviews here and there. Indiaspora Speaking exclusively to your favourite Saturday Sun before Wednesday's final bust up between the two prominent citizens, Atiku sensationally revealed that if there is one person who has enriched himself in the past seven years, that person is certainly Obasanjo. Posted by gwobezentashi| 10.09.2006 11:02

Auspicious  Villager

# 10 In Abubarkar Atiku's world, the best offense is the best defense - forget about providing detailed facts that would exonerate him from specific charges that were levelled against him. Why waste time providing detailed info to counter those charges when there is the option of shouting "Baba too na Barawo!"? Poor dude. Auspicious. Posted by Auspicious| 10.09.2006 12:02

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