By Valentine Amanze
Immediately the former Vice President and the flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, announced Mr. Peter Obi, the immediate past governor of Anambra State, as his running mate, the political weather changed.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and other opposition camps are in confusion on how to confront or neutralise the formidable team of the PDP.
Even with the propaganda of the ruling party, the PDP has weathered the storm to get it right at a right time. The crises and scandal rocking the APC two and a half months to the general election are not helping the image of the party that came to power to fight corruption.
In deed, it is very unwise for a warrior to fight in different fronts at the same time. It is the performance and the unending crises in the ruling party that made many Nigerians to look elsewhere – PDP.
The exodus of APC members to PDP is not strange. Two strange-bed follows cannot always make it together. APC is a bird with assorted feathers. Some mean well, while others are contrary. That is majorly why PDP is different.
While I am not a politician, I don’t need consultations to believe the credibility of Atiku and Obi candidacy, who have proved themselves in the government and private sector.
What I am foreseeing is the future of the great country called Nigeria, where there will be employment, steady electricity, water, good road network, highly equipped hospitals, schools and other basic needs.
We have tried the military dictatorship, and rejected it to embrace democracy, which has never produced leadership that is both grassroots and business-oriented.
Atiku-Obi combination appears to have the quality that will transform Nigeria if elected.
The two are grassroots names that have not been found wanting in philanthropy, governance and in business over the years.
The two have always been passionate about Nigeria and have always ploughed back to the society that made them through their investments.
The former vice president said he shook his head anytime the lopsided nature of security architecture of the country was brought to knowledge, lamenting that all security chiefs are from one section of the country, while the other sections were excluded.
“This is not federalism,” Atiku said at the summit of Igbo leaders in Enugu, recently.
He promised to balance the security architecture with Obi if they were elected into office.
The Turaki Adamawa also assured that he would not renege on his promise to restructure Nigeria, since he benefited from a structured Nigeria.
“Restructuring is a settled matter. I have no reason to go back on what I have been preaching. You cannot preach what you do not believe. I am a product of structured Nigeria. We should mobilise and come out to vote massively for ticket that will restructure Nigeria. Every other ticket is fake and deceit.
“I heard Osinbajo talk about restructuring and state police. Article 7 (2) of APC constitution talks about restructuring. What have they done about it in the past three years. It is fake and deceitful,” Atiku said.
The former vice president, who was also a member of the APC, noted that while coming to Enugu, he was scared about the dilapidated airport runway, but made it clear that even a functional local government could fix an airport runway.
“Coal would have been back since when I was VP. I advocated for decentralization of power generation and transmission but I was not in charge. If I am in charge, coal will come back to life,” he said.
Stressing the importance of coal, he said electricity creates jobs and prosperity and wealth for the nation.
Atiku said that if he became President, he would develop rail lines through partnership with private sector and without government funding.
Like Atiku, the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi has seen it all in Nigeria. He is always lamenting that the country has never been divided the way it is now, while insecurity and mismanagement of economy thrives under the government in power.
Obi as a governor saved $156 million for Anambra, a state that is now highly indebted.
He ran the state for eight years without borrowing a dime neither did he issue bond.
Anambra State during his tenure invested money in some of the companies the government attracted to the state. During his leadership, a law was made that Anambra must save a minimum of N100 million monthly which was obeyed religiously.
In all, Atiku and Obi had been in the public and private sector. Both have not been found wanting; and loved by Nigerians. Their experience in business is what I feel Nigeria needs to move forward.