Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar might be tacitly working for the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 elections with his refusal to abide by the zoning of the presidency to the southern part of Nigeria.
An Attorney at Law and former Commissioner for Information, Enugu State, Ozo Igbonekwu Ogazimora, stated this in Enugu on Thursday during a radio programme hosted by Dream FM, which was monitored by THE WHISTLER. According to him, Mr Abubakar “is acting the French monarch by insisting to contest the presidential election in 2027 when other political parties have zoned the slot to the South”.
He accused opposition leaders in Nigeria of lacking common interest, rather “they are pursuing their personal interests”.
He said if the alliance of Mr Peter Obi and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso was genuine, “the implication is that they are beginning to build a common interest”. He urged Nigerians to unite to be able to dictate the direction of who leads Nigeria instead of the contrary.
In his words, “The problem is the people’s docility. Nigeria’s electoral system confers powers to whoever is leading. Former President Goodluck Jonathan had the power in 2014, but because of his personality, he said that his victory did not worth anybody’s blood. Jonathan knew about the alleged importation of foreign mercenaries during his election bid, and refused to ignite what might have led to war. During the 2023 election, Obi’s running mate wanted Obi to be confrontational, which might lead to chaos. Obi knew the implications too, and that is why it is like he is weak.”
The lawyer charged Nigerian electorate to be active and ensure that their votes count. “Everybody is frustrated. Those in power manipulate the system, even using the courts. Government sponsors some of them, and it is legal because it is done through the courts. But we the masses are docile. We fail to act when we ought to. It is made worse by certain ethnic affiliations, making it difficult for anybody to put in a straight fight.”
He urged the masses who have trust in the Obi/Kwankwaso alliance to support them fully. He cited that the first election during the 2023 general elections was controlled by the masses, “but the business as usual came when politicians saw the vacuum of manual counting”.
“Electorate’s power is in their votes,” he said. “But we keep quiet when politicians make laws that are against the political power of voters. When you push people to the wall, they either fight back or slump. The system has been manipulated through the instrument of the National Assembly. But nothing stops the electorate to repeat what happened on the first day of the 2023 elections if we are serious.”
