Efforts made by party stakeholders to resolve these issues did not produce the desired outcomes.
By Amadi Ejiro:
Marshal Obuzor, the former spokesperson for the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not emerge victorious in the 2023 presidential election due to the arrogance displayed by their presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
In 2022, the PDP faced a series of challenges and internal conflicts following the appointment of Iyorchia Ayu as its national chairman and the subsequent selection of Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate.
A group of five governors, referred to as the G5, led by Wike, argued that Atiku’s candidacy violated the agreement to allocate the presidency to the southern region. They insisted that Ayu should step down as the party chairman if they were to support Atiku.
Efforts made by party stakeholders to resolve these issues did not produce the desired outcomes.
Ultimately, Atiku lost the presidential election on February 25 to Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
During the election, Tinubu secured 231,591 votes in Rivers State, while Atiku received 88,468 votes. This marked the first time since the beginning of the fourth republic in 1999 that the PDP failed to obtain 25 percent of the votes in the state.
Obuzor, who previously served as Wike’s spokesperson, alleged that Atiku allowed his frustration from “30 years of unsuccessful presidential attempts” to influence his actions, resulting in a significant political setback. Obuzor emphasized that even Atiku himself would feel remorseful for squandering his best opportunity to become Nigeria’s President due to his excessive political arrogance.
Obuzor’s comments were made in response to a statement by Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, who claimed that Wike’s recent acknowledgment of surviving a poisoning incident was false and that his illness was actually caused by alcohol consumption.
Obuzor said he “tumbled on an article in which the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, through his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, made a puerile attempt to rubbish the Thanksgiving Service by former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
“His argument was that Wike, who was thanking God for surviving a poisoning incident was not poisoned as he claimed but was sick owing to intake of alcohol.
“The statement is the ultimate display of childishness and reflects a hollow mind burdened, blinded, and driven by the pain and confusion of defeat. If not, how or why should what a former Governor says in his place of worship between him and his God be of concern to Atiku?
“Atiku’s statement should not come from any religious conscientious person as it is not only an insult to the church but to the idea of thanksgiving, which is also held highly in Islam.
“However, even if Atiku does not have the religious piety to guide his tongue, his appreciation of medical science and common sense should have been an adequate guide for him.
“He ignored the obvious fact that the poison verdict was from a medical diagnosis. It was also beside basic reasoning for him not to factor in the stated symptoms and nature of recovery to reach his verdict.
“It is worth mentioning that while the Ambassador Damagun-led National Working Committee of the PDP was at the thanksgiving event, taking steps towards reconciling the party members, Atiku seemed frustrated by the prospect of peace and forcefully moved in the opposite direction. If an unprovoked Atiku could say this much about the most significant reconciliation events in the PDP, one can only imagine the kind of advice the self-acclaimed unifier gives the NWC privately.
“At the end of the day, one cannot totally blame Atiku for showing this level of frustration as he has been contesting for President for the past 30 years and has been rejected by Nigerians in every electoral cycle from 1993 till date.
“With him fast fading into political irrelevance and leaving the scene as Nigeria’s portrait of electoral failure, Atiku cuts the figure of a frustrated man deserving of pity.
“As it is today, even if Atiku were to organise a thanksgiving for his life or even resurrect from the dead, he wouldn’t be able to attract the caliber of dignitaries and attention of Nigerians like Governor Wike did at his thanksgiving.
“Therefore, his frustration is understood and it is obvious that at the level he has sunk politically, even Atiku will look Atiku in the mirror and pity Atiku for throwing away his brightest chance of ever becoming Nigeria’s President on the altar of political arrogance.”
