ATIKU, A MAN WITHOUT A CORE?

One of the cardinal philosophies of Politics 101 is that there is no permanent enemy or permanent friend in politics, only permanent interest bonds politicians together; the reason some people have tagged politicians as whores and prostitutes. "Shame on you; Shame on you, Barack Obama, shame on you" was the notorious Hilary Clinton's campaign war-cry, but today she is the Secretary of State for President Barack Obama's presidency? Icheoku asks, with the preceding in mind, what then is the beef with Abubakar Atiku's recent visit with the Otta medicine man, Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo? They are both politicians and politicians are very unpredictable people, as foes today can become pals tomorrow and vice versa, so Atiku and Obasanjo met, so what?

Could Obasanjo have read Abubakar Atiku correctly as a man without conviction or whose only meaning is self preservation - the reason cited for not letting him become Nigeria's president? How could this man from Adamawa have betrayed the trust of so many Nigerians who have come to identify with him as a real democrat, by visiting his nemesis, Aremu Obasanjo? How could Atiku swallow back his spittle after all he was forced to endure under Olusegun Obasanjo's presidency, including the near-decimation of his business empire? Only a mind-reader can fathom the sudden somersault of Atiku and regrettably, Icheoku is not one. We can only try to analyse what happened with a view to placing some handle thereto.

Shamelessly, Atiku tried to explain away the visit as "his new year visit to his former boss", to which Icheoku retorts, did Atiku make such similar visit to his former boss, last January 2008 or was there something very special about this particular January 2009 to warrant his sudden about-turn? Also, if there was nothing "personal about their disagreement", according to Obasanjo, Icheoku says, there could be nothing more personal than a selfish ambition for a third term and a crazed-out presidential ambition. Atiku's pretension of opposition to Obasanjo's depraved third term ambition, was as personal as it can get and Obasanjo, being the unforgiving despot he is, will still find a way to take his pound of flesh from Atiku, someday, somehow!

The motive behind this sudden dance of death between Obasanjo and Atiku is irrelevant as both men are not credible and will not even tell each other the simple truth. Icheoku calls on Nigerians to just be on guard to make sure that none of these two munchkins ever find their way back in Aso Rock, no matter the subterfuge. Their sudden-found love can go on blissfully forever, so long as they stay out of power in Nigeria. Whether Atiku slaves it back to PDP or not should not even concern Nigerians since they already know this former customs' officer and a former vice president as a self-preservation charlatan. However after Atiku's once describing Obasanjo as corrupt and an enemy of democracy Icheoku will like to see how he is now forced to retract his very own words and applaud Olusegun Obasanjo's latest immaculate transformation into an "upright friend of democracy?"

Icheoku says that the Atiku camp was very preposterous in citing the example of Nelson Mandela who spent 27 years in prison and went on to work as South African President with his former foes without bitterness and in a spirit of forgiveness with their Atiku's visit to Obasanjo. How long has Atiku been out in the cold? How long was Atiku behind bars? To make such a rancid comparison is to whittle down the Utopian heights which Nelson Mandel occupies in the world. Also, citing America's President Barack Obama and Senator John McCain's meeting is not analogous with Atiku's meeting with Obasanjo as neither men presently won any elections or contested any between themselves. Were it Umaru Yar'Adua that Atiku met, may be such comparison would have basis both in fact and reality. This Atiku camp must be populated by unthinking mallams who could not distinguish between two polar opposites. What a parallel comparisons?

The good news however, is that both camps are so soon after the ill-advised visit, throwing bricks of one denial after another; with an aide to Obasanjo saying that the meeting was preparatory to Atiku's eventual return back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to re-launch his political career for 2011; while Atiku's camp is denying the allegation as unfounded saying that "the meeting a mere rapprochement between the two men who have now decided to bury the hatchet and focus their attention, redirect their energies and harness their collective experiences for the benefit of the country?" To all these abracadabra, Icheoku says, tell that to the marines! Whether Atiku is a sell-out or not depends on who is talking as Icheoku would like to ask, to whom did he sell out and what did he sell? The real opposition deal whom Nigerians should be concerned about is that opposition that won five states in the last elections, Muhammad Buhari and not Atiku who could not even win his state, Adamawa. Were it not for Bola Tinubu, may be AC would have come out of the election worse than Pat Utomi's party. Now the evil man of Otta is even alleging that it was Atiku who "begged" for the meeting, what a dumb political move by Atiku?

One commentator said that "it was this type of meeting between Atiku and Obasanjo in the latter’s home in Ota in 1998 that eventually culminated in the worst presidency Nigeria ever had. Their presidency and vice presidency held Nigeria in thrall for eight years, during which no day passed without one political turmoil or the other brewing and erupting in one corner of the country or the other." One other commentator described the meeting of the two political gladiators of Nigerian politics as a big irony after what they had said and done to each other these past years. The meeting shows that the two men lack principle, that they are both selfish and are both evil men, While another commentator was quoted as saying "I am truly spooked by this reconciliatory move because experience has shown that when Obasanjo and Atiku are friends, next to nothing good comes of it for Nigeria."

In conclusion, Icheoku says, the victor here is Olusegun Obasanjo who ate his cake with Atiku and had it back. Obasanjo successfully out-foxed Atiku by luring him to Otta and later exposing an otherwise "private visit" to an ambush of a battery of photographers, just to ridicule Atiku? Obasanjo ignored and sidelined Atiku during the greater half of his presidency, stopped him cold when he tried to run for the party's presidential candidacy and eventually drove him entirely out of the PDP. Now Atiku has been forced to crawl on his all fours back to Otta to beg for forgiveness of sins from Olusegun Obasanjo. Admitted, it is only 'interest' that binds politicians together, but Icheoku will like to ask, what interest now binds these forsworn duo? Icheoku says, Nigerians should be wary of this romance of two fathom menaces; and now that they have been placed on a red alert, the fault will be theirs should these two evil salamanders ever weasel their way back to Aso Rock, either directly or indirectly? Guard your loins Nigerians, for the fight ahead will be rough and tough!