Icheoku says the man who owns, runs and largely finances the APC, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, has once again proved that no grasshopper ever flies up in APC without his express approval and authorization? He dealt with Sheriff Momodu, Tom Ikimi, Babatunde Fashola and now his latest quarry is bagged in Abubakar Atiku, whose latest ambition to fly the APC presidential ticket was crushed and probably quashed forever? The man, who Icheoku reluctantly admires his political gamesmanship, is one heck of a smooth political operator; and has by this latest act now conclusively proved that he has had and would always have his way with anyone in 'his' APC. He single-handedly imposed a chairman on the APC; he picked a candidate for Lagos 2015 governorship election despite the objection of an incumbent governor, who himself was a beneficiary of ABT political anointing; and now he has also handed his preferred candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, the APC presidential ticket.
Icheoku says if the PDP and President Jonathan hitherto never appreciated or underestimated the prowess of this man, now probably is the time for them to really wake up, shake off their lethargy and take a second critical look at him and rejig their strategy and game plan for 2015. Icheoku admonishes that failure to so do and very quickly too, might surprisingly leave them wondering what a ton of bricks hit them in 2015 with the emergence of an APC president through this man's deft manipulations. icheoku acknowledges that Ahmed Bola Tinubu has thus far a very impressive political resume and should be taken very seriously and all his dues properly paid him. Steadily but surely, Bola Tinubu is effectively filling the big shoes of the other Yoruba political sage Obafemi Awolowo as one of the biggest political tactician the Yoruba Southwest has ever produced? Icheoku gives him his due props, regardless of our often disagreeing positions on affairs of the land.
Icheoku did all he could to help try influence the outcome of the APC convention by persuading APC not to front this despot as their presidential candidate. But the result shows otherwise; that the APC choose to see Buhari's past misbehaviors as gone with the wind and that his confessed renaissance is genuine? Icheoku admits that the Buhari of 2015 has been significantly humbled from the Buhari of 1983 to 1985 that murdered those three innocent Nigerians using a retroactive decree as cover? If the result is acceptable to the APC, with all due respect it is also acceptable to a non partisan Icheoku. All Icheoku can add now is that if eventually the APC wins the presidential seat in 2015, the implication would be very far-reaching indeed. It will certainly affirm that Nigeria is a certified glorified banana republic, where only strong men hold sway? That because of Nigerians' usual cattle mentality, their stimuli only respond to infliction of force and therefore it requires an army discipline to properly coalesce them and put them in line? Icheoku asks, would a Nigerian, desiring forced discipline in order to behave properly, still be capable of claiming any civilized civility?
But that irrespective, whether or not the APC candidate wins in 2015, it will not make any difference in the security situation in Nigeria. The only difference would be in the geographical location of the continuing terrorism that is plaguing Nigeria as it would then migrate from the Northeast down to South-south Niger Delta, the original home-grown terrorists abode? Icheoku is emphatic that Abubakar Shekau and his Boko Haram band of marauding bandits helped blackmailed APC into the presidential ticket outcome? Boko Haram would also likely blackmail Nigerians, clamoring for security, with intensified mayhem to help bring about a Buhari's victory and thereafter would quickly lay down their weapons in a pretended negotiated settlement or amnesty? But then this Boko Haram watershed would be the beginning of the terror-hurricane the Niger Delta commanding officer Mujahadeen Asari Dokubo had promised Nigerians in event Jonathan was denied a second time?
All Dokubo would do is to relocate to the creeks and with his band of terrorists, once the marching order is given from above, grind Nigeria's teetering oil export to a complete halt. Icheoku says so Nigerians must tread with great caution and tepidity in their quest to decide who occupies Aso Rock in 2015 as either win, will not solve the Nigerian insecurity problem. It is going to be a case of which alternative is a lesser evil situation; and then ask themselves which of the two terrorism belts would have a greater impact on their lives in general and vote accordingly. Although what Sheik Gumi proposed would have been a quicker resolution; but with both parties now resting their fate in the two candidates, their nomination process completed, Nigerians can only await the consequential outcome of either choice?
As for Icheoku, a preferred outcome is to not let those Niger Delta original terrorists have any reason to go back blowing up pipelines again. Let their son and brother have their region's term completion in Aso Rock and then power can return wherever power wants to return. Thereafter, if they ever misbehave again with their restiveness, then the whole Nigerians can overwhelmingly hammer them down into eternal fearful subjugation. But injustice to one is injustice to all, so if the Yoruba Southwest got their eight years two election-cycles terms, let the same measure be extended to the South-south people and hopefully to the North and Southeast whenever they get the privilege? It is fairness defined and nothing ever compares to it.
To Abubakar Atiku, Icheoku says please consider finally hanging up your presidential aspiration and may be forever and for good? Baba Iyabo successfully damaged Atiku's reputation and credibility when he challenged Atiku to visit America and get arrested; which challenge Atiku never took. Atiku coyly shied away from addressing or disproving this accusation by simply taking a trip to the USA and instead went prostrating at Abeoukuta Hilltop, begging for forgiveness? A simpleton's solution to a genie problem which never puts the genie back into the bottle; and Baba laughed and still dey laugh at Atiku and his daydream of becoming Nigeria's president which is suddenly morphing into a nightmare with his latest defeat by Buhari? Icheoku says Atiku failed to correctly read Olusegun Obasanjo's primary intent by publicly releasing his Atiku-s Challenge and to put it out there and let the public do the lynching and crucifixion. icheoku says Atiku's non-response response to Obasanjo's accusation and challenge gave credence to the allegation and it stuck that Atiku is the most corrupt Nigerian alive.
So despite the over 9 billion Naira Atiku poured into purchasing the APC presidential ticket, he was told no, thanks, but no. It would appear that Bola Tinubu took a page from the book of Umaru DIkko and told Abubakar Atiku that the APC presidential ticket is not for sale to the highest bidder. Icheoku says so who knows which party the habitual party crawler would, following his trouncing defeat by Buhari, now hop over to this time around? Except that Icheoku almost forgot that his PDM is a registered political party, so there could be a PDM presidential candidate Abubakar Atiku very soon? It is now a battle royale between PDP's Jonathan and APC Buhari for the hearts and minds of Nigerians as 2015 approaches. Icheoku can never have enough of the punches expected to be thrown by this two gladiators prelude to February 2015 presidential election that will decide who stays or moves out and/or who remains out or moves into Aso Rock.
It is now all systems go for the millions of Buhari-phobes who would now go into overdrive to ensure that they nip their impending nightmare in the bud before it morphs into an existential threat to Nigeria as we know it. Icheoku does not like the precedent being set with Olusegun Obasanjo and now probably with impending Muhammadu Buhari, that only army men, whether serving or retired, could effectively preside over Nigeria? It does not bode well for the country's image and it does not bode well for grassroots democracy and would encourage future coup plotters to do their thing since there is no consequence for any past reprobate. If Icheoku may, this impending power return to the same Northeast that produced Shagari, Buhari, Abacha, Babangida, Abdulsalam and YarAdua, should be aborted at any cost possible as it is not only one region out of six that knows how to rule Nigeria. Icheoku says it is time indeed Nigerians declared their true and second independence from these born to rule ideologues and tell them if we cannot rule them, they should not and must not rule us. No one is inferior or second class to anyone in Nigeria and 2015 is the date with history that Nigerians must look these guys in the eyes and tell them ENOUGH!
FYI:- Icheoku congratulates APC for a successful convention and Muhammadu Buhari for emerging victorious and clinching the APC presidential ticket. 2015 here we come for a rematch of Jonathan V Buhari 2; and the umpire would certainly be Nigerians. Like millions of Nigerians, Icheoku also tremblingly awaits the result.
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