ICHEOKU says were Nigeria a civilized functioning country, Abubakar Atiku and Olusegun Obasanjo would still be in prison serving long prison sentences for the crimes against humanity which they both committed against Nigerians between 1999 and 2008. ICHEOKU says therefore, falling for the Atiku's razzmatazz or biting the Atiku bait, will be the evidential height of this Nigerians' fabled notoriety for selective forgetfulness of past historical facts, especially when it suits them. Afraid of some inconvenient truths of what once was, this group of Nigerians also choose to ignore a Wole Soyinka's admonition that records are kept for a reason. So, with that as a foundation for this expose`, please join ICHEOKU as we now travel down the memory lane of a few short years ago, just for a refresher.
Some mind-numbed ATIKULOOTED vuvuzelas might argue that Olusegun Obasanjo was the president then and not Abubakar Atiku. To these fellas, ICHEOKU says the doctrine of Collective Responsibility and the duty to resign in protest, if you disagree with the policy direction and objective of a government, or did not see eye to eye with the president, inextricably yoked Abubakar Atiku to the government. He did not and failed to exercise any of the options which were available to him, and which would have otherwise extricated him from or absolved him of the blames of that government.
Not even a vehement public protest or an outright resignation, which would have strongly suggested that what went down during the period under question were not his action nor had his approval. But the truth of the matter is that Abubakar Atiku was fully involved in the whole shebang; and he was on record, saying that he was the man in charge of things in that government, especially during the first term and that he even "mercifully" allowed Bola Tinubu to keep Lagos State because of their NADECO experience, otherwise it would have been a country wide sweep of an election by the PDP. Remember records are kept for a reason, lest we forget.
So, for staying put and not protesting or even resigning from the government of Obasanjo/Atiku, a reasonable inference could be made that Abubakar Atiku adopted, approved, participated and actively connived and contrived to achieve everything which the government of Obasanjo/Atiku achieved and did within their eight long years in power. It is also a fair argument to input to Abubakar Atiku all of the lows and highs of that government, including their unbridled abuse of power and gross mismanagement of Nigeria, as was witnessed during the period under review. Therefore, every iota, modicum, scintilla or sliver of action of the Obasanjo/Atiku government, is entirely, technically attributable to Abubakar Atiku as his own act. So, it goes without saying that Abubakar Atiku is 100% responsible for all the credits and deficits of the Obasanjo/Atiku government between 1999 and 2008 and therefore Abubakar Atiku should be judged based on that record.
Lest we forget, when Abubakar Atiku and Olusegun Obasanjo took over power in 1999, the Naira exchanged for N78.99 to the American dollar and when they left office, the Naira has plummeted to N247 to the dollar.
Lest we forget, the same Abubakar Atiku alongside Olusegun Obasanjo ran one of the most brazen dictatorship which was masqueraded as democracy in Nigeria, where the executive completely swallowed up the legislature. Bribing the legislature with sacs of Ghana Must Go bags became rampant and an acceptable way of conducting government's business. Even ministers had to bribe the legislature before their Ministries could get adequate budgetary allocations. A case in point, which stood out, being the then Minister of Education Professor Fabian Osuji, who bribed the legislature with N50 million just to get enough allocation with which to run his Ministry. Lest we forget.
Lest we forget, the National Congress during Obasanjo/Atiku government was completely emasculated, fettered and shackled; and was not allowed to operate freely as an independent co-equal branch of the government, where legislative leadership were incessantly removed and replaced at the pleasure of Aso Rock. The proverbial banana peel syndrome became a preferred means of the Obasanjo/Atiku government of affecting a desired legislative outcome, as any leader of either chambers, who will not play ball was summarily impeached and replaced by a more malleable one. Nigeria's legislature was completely subdued by this duo and it is on record that Abubakar Atiku was the hatchet man who was usually deployed by Obasanjo to affect the outcome which both of them desired and he did it with relish and glee. This is the same man with such putrid record of intolerance and despotism that some Nigerians are now craving his presidency. Lest we forget.
The matter became so rampant that the Senate saw more than five Senate presidents come and go just within the years both despots were in office. Lest we forget. Obasanjo and Atiku were laws unto themselves and they distributed such impunity and lawlessness with reckless abandon; using the army and all manners of security apparatchiks to visit wanton punishments on perceived enemies. Lest we forget. For this two, nobody else mattered in Nigeria except Obasanjo and Atiku; such that even a Chief of Army Staff, Victor Malu, was repeatedly disgraced and to the extent of burning down his village and demolishing his country home and supervised by their Minister of Defense TY Danjuma.
Lest we forget, it was under Obasanjo/Atiku's government that the three branches of government in Nigeria were literary fused into one and made unitary; and operated from right inside Aso Rock, with power to decide who goes and who stays anywhere and in any position throughout Nigeria. The judiciary was completely muzzled, ditto the legislature and court orders were flagrantly disobeyed and human rights were violated with unbridled impunity. Recall that Obasanjo/Atiku government arrested MASSOB's Ralph Uwazulike and MEND's Asari Dokubo and held them in a dark, dank underground DSS dungeon and refused to honor or respect or obey all the courts rulings to secure their bail; and that it was not until Umaru Yar'Adua came to office that the two saw daylight.
They were so many other Nigerians who shared similar fate and ICHEOKU received information on this with smuggled photographic evidence. It is on record too, that so many disaporan activists were put on a "Do Not Step into Nigeria" list by this very despotic government, including yours truly and this is a fact. ICHEOKU is not here to blow any trumpet but merely letting it all out, just in case Atiku visits America and this becomes the last oped about his suitability for office as ICHEOKU intends to honor the promise to end any further shinning of light on him if that visit happens.
During the same reign of infamy of Obasanjo/Atiku government, peaceful demonstrations and protests were practically forbidden and banned in Nigeria; and those who dared were summarily vanquished by a heartless government and its very mean security agencies; whose only instruction was to, by all means necessary, not permit or allow any protest whatsoever on the streets of Nigeria, regardless of the reason for the protest and this was in a supposed democracy. Violators were were callously tear-gased, tased, indiscriminately bludgeoned with police batons, had their heads busted open with the butt of AK47s, kicked around, arrested and sometimes detained indefinitely without bail. It was during one of such heavy highhandedness that Chuba Okadigbo was murdered, Lest we forget. Yes, Dr Chuba Okadigbo, Oyi of Oyi, was murdered because he dared to exercise his freedom of expression, by the Obasanjo/Atiku despotic government. Aware that he was asthmatic, a murderous agent of the State applied nauseous gas directly at his nostrils, triggering an asthmatic attack which choked him to death. Lest we forget.
Communities in Nigeria were also forbidden from any agitation or protest whatsoever and were barred from protesting even the Obasanjo/Atiku's government and any attempt to disobey their government were met with brazen ruthlessness; and sometimes crushed to death. Yes, you heard ICHEOKU right that Obasanjo and Atiku summarily laid to to waste, the communities of Odi Bayelsa and Zaki Ibiam Benue. Lest we forget. Thousands of innocent Nigerians were wounded and murdered, their properties destroyed and their land laid desolate by the government led by Obasanjo and Atiku. Yet, an encore of this absurdity is what some unthinking Nigerians are clamoring for in their choice of Abubakar Atiku? Lest we forget.
Even some State governors in their favored books developed their own messianic complex, including Anambra State Governor Mbadinuju, who had the then Onitsha Nigerian Bar Association chairman Barnabas Igwe and his beautiful pregnant wife butchered on the street of Onitsha and during daylight and walked away from such a heinous crime. Yes, you heard ICHEOKU right and the NBA cowered in great trepidation for fear of being the next victim. It was hellish and it was odious and it was under the watch of Obasanjo and Atiku, the same people that have once again ganged up and plotting evil against Nigerians. Mbadinuju was Atiku's loyalist and Atiku covered up for him; and shielded him from investigation and prosecution over the murder of a whole NBA chairman whose sin was merely criticizing the governor and fighting for the respect of human rights of Onitsha residents. This is the dark years which some brain-dead drunks are yearning for a re-live, really?
It was during the heartless regime of Obasanjo and Atiku that bombs went off at Ikeja Military Cantonment killing over 20,000 Nigerians. Olusegun Obasanjo visited the scene few days later and when survivors were complaining of thirst and that no government agency has come to their aid or given them even water to drink, Obasanjo berated and scolded them, admonishing them that they should even be grateful and happy that he bothered enough to even make the visit and angrily went back into his car and screeched off. These are records of the government led by Olusegun Obasanjo and Abubakar Atiku and which some Nigerians are somewhat praying for a comeback; and you wonder what manner of people are these Nigerians, the ATIKULOOTED vuvuzelas, that is.
Lest we forget, it was during the Obasanjo/Atiku government that a sitting Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, the venerable Cicero of Oke Ona, Bola Ige, was murdered and till today, Nigerians have chosen to believe that 12 MOPOL security guards, who were protecting the chief law officer of the land, will all go to lunch or dinner break at the same time and within the same exact window of their collective absence, assassins struck and magically disappeared into the thin air, really? None of these security officers has even been questioned, arrested or prosecuted or even interrogated to at least try and ascertain on whose orders they acted by clearing way for the assassins to gain entry and kill Bola Ige while he was having dinner with his entire family.
It is on record that his wife Justice Atinuke Ige never survived from the broken heart which she suffered watching her husband of many years hacked to death at their dinner table. Query, who else in authority could have overridden the security details of the country's chief law enforcement office, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, other than the person above him? And who else was above the Minister of Justice other than the President and Vice President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo and Abubakar Atiku. The records are there; Lest we forget.
Of all such State sponsored killings in Nigeria during the Obasanjo/Atiku infamous government, Harry Marshall's gruesome murder in Asokoro Abuja was simply hair raising. His assassins numbering about twelve men who are suspected to be members of a certain Nigeria's security unit, arrived his residence at about 11pm while the guy was already fast asleep, but was woken up by the noise. He contacted the police on his phone to report the intrusion into his compound; even his neighbors severally called the police as well; and there was a police station just within 1 mile from his residence, but no help came. He was inside his armored door bedroom and when the bandits could not smash through the door, they climbed in through the ceiling and butchered him.
The whole macabre incident lasted for nearly 45 minutes, speaking of Jamal Khashoggi styled killing; and ten minutes following their departure, two Hilux pickup filled with MOPOLS belatedly arrived to put up their usual show of firing into the the air. ICHEOKU says please, let somebody with a better logical thought please help explain this to ICHEOKU and other curious minded people, who are finding it extremely difficult to figure out till date. Then add Dikkibo etc. But the same participant of that inglorious days is who Nigerians are chanting his praises now and wants to elect their president. Interesting. Lest we forget.
This two brigands Obasanjo and Atiku ran a gestapo government which kidnapped a sitting Anambra State's Governor Chris Ngige, the current Minister of Labor. The same despots arbitrarily imposed martial laws on States, removing elected State governors and in their places appointed their friends as administrators and this was in a democracy? Ekiti State's Governor Ayo Fayose, Plateau State's Governor Dariye and one other governor were victims of this arbitrariness as they summarily removed from office under such a ruse of emergency; just because they dared open their mouths against the Obasanjo/Atiku government. This rascality and wanton abuse of power and utter disregard for separation of powers in a democracy is what some numbskull Nigerians are rooting for again and praying for a rerun and giddy about reliving the experience, really? Lest we forget.
It is on record too that between 1999 to 2008, no governor in Nigerian dared challenge the despots Obasanjo and Atiku as they held sway as a government of untouchables which is unaccountable to no one. Governorship and Local Government Chairmanship candidates stopped campaigning for election once they get a green light and seal of approval from Aso Rock. ICHEOKU is fully aware of this because a personally known candidate who was recommended through a third party got to Aso Rock a little too late, as they had already chosen a candidate prior. During this regime of infamy, any candidate for any office in Nigeria must first seek and secure the approval of Obasanjo/Atiku government before they can even venture to buy their nomination forms; because doing otherwise was merely an exercise in futility.
Elections were predicated on candidates being in the good books of Aso Rock and they so micro managed elections in Nigeria that even a Local Government chairman and supervisors had to be signed off on before they can be "elected" into office. There was no opposition party or politician in tolerated anywhere in Nigeria, that the PDP was ice boasting of going to remain in power for 66 years. ICHEOKU was did an article questioning the rational of the number '66", teasing the then Vincent Ogbulafor why not make it 100 years or even eternity. This is the experience some Nigerians are suddenly rooting for again and you wonder what exactly are Nigerians' brains made of, mush may be? Lest we forget.
This is the reason Oba Akiolu of Lagos does not see eye to eye with Olusegun Obasanjo and by extension Abubakar Atiku, who he has bared from visiting his palace during his campaign tours. It is on record that Abubakar Atiku once boasted how he merely permitted Bola Tinubu to keep Lagos State because of their NADECO experience, otherwise he would have also 'WON" the State for the PDP. The same guy who engineered all these monumental abuses and pathetic nonsenses, is who some brain-dead Nigerians are saying come and be our president. Lest we forget.
They never conducted actual elections in Nigeria, but allocated offices as if they were sharing dinner plates. Election results were awarded in Aso Rock and most times long before the Election Day and before even INEC could finish collating election results. But unfortunately the name Maurice Iwu has been magically been erased out of the minds of Nigerians; and the same fella who engineered all the shenanigans is now being touted as Nigerians' now messiah, the horse mounted knight in shinning armor who has come to rescue Nigeria, really? ICHEOKU says rescue Nigeria from what or plunge Nigeria back to their pillage and brigandage of between 1999 to 2008.
Lest we forget, it was under Obasanjo/Atiku government, that now Governor of Kaduna State and then Minister of FCT, Nasiru Ahmed el Rufai's bulldozers, were specifically target driven and dispatched to homes and businesses of critics and oppositions of the government in Abuja, and had them leveled to the ground; and most times without notice of any violation of municipal ordinances nor sufficient time given to abate manufactured nuisances or to conform to the extant "laws" which they allegedly violated.
It was on record that one of such victims was sleeping at night with his wife and children when they were rudely awoken by headlights and menacing sounds of bulldozers eating up their fence, prelude to their main house. They had to escape to their neighbors house in their pajamas and night gowns with nothing else taken out of their multi million Naira home. Lest we forget. There was one case where an already paved road was literary excavated just because a government critic who attracted the construction of the road prior, who later became a critic, lived on the street, down the road. A very petty and mean despicable human excrement who would be serving long prison sentences were Nigeria a civilized and functioning society.
It is also on records that while Igbo owned businesses were being eliminated, those owned by other tribes flourished, as the Obasanjo/Atiku's government supported them by making some of them monopolies with sole import and distributorship of certain lucrative commodities, Dangote to mention just one. These other businesses also enjoyed mouth watering concessions and tax breaks as well as waivers of import duties, while Ndigbo businesses suffered under a well planned out ethnic-business genocide, led by Abubakar Atiku, just to slow them down. Femi Otedola also benefited from this skewed partiality, becoming an overnight billionaire just because Obasanjo and Atiku said so. Lest we forget.
Assassinations of Nigerians also grew exponentially during the Obasanjo/Atiku's government and no political opponent or dissenter was spared. Their thirst for blood grew so much that some individual targets were eliminated by bringing down and crashing airplanes; killing off opponents, trouble makers and perceived enemies of the government. Plane crashes became the order of the day in Nigeria and their frequency became unheard of. A plane carrying the then Sultan Maccido of Sokoto, who Obasanjo/Atiku government had invited to Abuja, was enroute back to Sokoto, with over 100 Sokoto princes and officials when it crashed in a manner suggestive of sabotage, killing everyone on board. No investigation was conducted, case closed.
There was Sosoliso Airlines plane which was crashed in Port Harcourt, killing tens of students on holidays returning from Abuja as well as many others, just because some of their targeted enemies target were onboard the plane. Then the Mambila Plateau military plane crash in which 18 top Army Generals were summarily, conveniently wasted. Then another plane flew into the Atlantic Ocean and another one into the Lagos swamp. These incessant plane crashes suddenly became a thing of the past following the end of their administration, but Nigerians choose not to ask pertinent questions.
It is also on record that Ibrahim Babangida once questioned the motive behind the frequent plane crashes and insinuated that he will investigate them if he becomes president. What did the government of Obasanjo/Atiku do, they arrested Mohammed Babangida on a false charge of some monetary transaction and forced Babangida to abort his plans to run for the presidency. This is the gestapo government which Abubakar Atiku engineered in Nigeria, Lest we forget. There were other atrocious crimes which were committed under the watch of Obasanjo and Atiku, which are simply too many to be itemized here. Yet, the same guy who actively participated in such viciousness is who some Nigerians are singing his praises as their now new messiah, who will bring heaven on earth for them and you wonder what is wrong with these Nigerians.
ICHEOKU says a man who does everything and anything just for his own personal interest and whose conscience is frequently determined by his present circumstances; and before whom everything is always good by Atiku until it affects Atiku personally, is not a man any thinking society should trust with their common destiny. This guy was for everything and all things Olusegun Obasanjo did and approved of them, signing off on them and adopting them as his own co-acts, until Obasanjo threatened his personal interest of becoming Nigeria's president. First, he moved against Obasanjo's second term but failed in his attempt to upstage Obasanjo and take over the seat of power. Obasanjo was forced on his knees and prostrated before Atiku, and pled to be allowed a second term. This triggered the conflict-filled second term of theirs which Nigerians witnessed during their second term and which nearly grounded everything governance in Nigeria.
It led to Obasanjo's desired third term, in his attempt to punish Atiku and stop him from ever becoming president. But when Obasanjo could not pull that off, he decided to impose Yar'Adua on Nigeria and ensured that Atiku will never fulfill his dream of ever succeeding him. It is on record, both video and audio, that Olusegun Obasanjo severally vowed that Atiku will never be president in Nigeria as long as he, Obasanjo, shall live; signing the vow off with "OVER MY DEAD BODY" shall Abubakar Atiku become president of Nigeria.' For a great grand father to swear an oath about a man, shows that he knew something about the character of that person that allowing him to be president will be detrimental to Nigeria.
But Nigerians seemed not to be concerned about this telling oath. ICHEOKU says emphatically that the ruse of fighting against a third term was not the stick that broke the camel's back as the problem started a long time ago following private communications that Obasanjo will not allow Atiku to succeed him. Also, that there were no elections in Nigeria during the Obasanjo/Atiku regime is also a fact, including none which secured victory for Umaru Yar'Adua, which even Yar'Adua later admitted and apologized for.
Again, Atiku also tried to upstage Goodluck Jonathan and take over the presidency; but when he failed, he took sides with Muhammadu Buhari and successfully engineered the ouster of Jonathan from Aso Rock, simply because, according to Atiku, Atiku agreed with the Northern agenda that power must change hands and shift to the North. Further, as with Obasanjo, everything was honky dory between Atiku and President Muhammadu Buhari for more than three long years of a four year presidency, until the president decided to run for a second term; and again the selectively righteous indignation of Abubakar Atiku kicked into an overdrive.
Meanwhile everything Buhari did in the past three years was approved and loved by Atiku and Nigerians know their experience within the said period, but not Atiku; because Atiku does not care, provided his interest is preserved. Abubakar Atiku who has no conscience or character or core nor conviction, decided once again to escape from the Buhari's shadow, all in his eternal quest to answer Mr President. He returned to the PDP which he had deserted from and sabotaged their President Goodluck Jonathan's second term bid; and forcibly dollar-twisted the hands of the PDP delegates to Port Harcourt convention, which turned into a sleazy bureau du change operation and purchased the party's presidential ticket. Lest we forget.
So, what manner of man is this and why are Nigerians not perturbed by such a fluke, who only worries about himself and could care less about the general interest of the people; and who will go to any extent to achieve the Atiku's selfish objective. Why must Abubakar Atiku approvingly support every infra-dig of any president and even participate in perpetuating some of them, until it begins to affect him personally? Abubakar Atiku fought against Obasanjo only when Obasanjo refused to yield him the presidency of Nigeria, which he later spinned as fighting against Obasanjo's third term desire. Again Abubakar Atiku started fighting against Buhari only when Buhari did not stick to their earlier agreement to serve only one tern and thus became a stumbling block for Abubakar Atiku's dreamt presidency. ICHEOKU says if selfishness has a human face or definition, Abubakar Atiku is definitely it; and this is why ICHEOKU is so impassioned with the drive to STOP ATIKU and nothing else.
Nigerians must therefore wake up to their senses and be wary of such a fair weather candidate, because for the right price, he might sell Nigeria to any highest bidder and the Chinese are lurking in wait to make Atiku an offer he cannot refused. Unlike Rotimi Amaechi who once said that his friends knows that he does not like money, Abubakar Atiku's love of money knows is legendary and knows no bounds that he can even go to the devil in his attempt to amass more. Please Nigerians, don't be fooled by Atiku's well orchestrated pretentiousness; nor be tempted by the hardship in the land to do something as stupid as playing a Russia's roulette with your common destiny.
Ever asked yourselves who is this so desperate just because of the interest of others or have you seen anyone helping a truck pusher with his laden? ICHEOKU has no personal gratification from this effort, has not asked nor demanded nor received any; just that Atiku is not the right person to succeed Buhari and the records are there for those still lucid to see. Please avoid the temptation because if you don't, you will be sorry. To regret what was otherwise avoidable is the most foolish thing anyone can do. Who will police Atiku, in the unfortunate event he magically becomes president? He purchased the presidential ticket with his money, after walking back to the PDP to hijack the it from people who remained loyal while he was hopping around other parties. So, if he could pull it off, why would he listen or respect anyone to tell him what to do as president? Lest we forget.
ICHEOKU is not a fan of either Aiku or Buhari; but maintains that between the two people, there is no difference; hence the lighter sentence of 4 years is to be preferred than an extended 8 longer years of more of the same. You will also note that ICHEOKU has not raised the issue of his polygamous lifestyle as that is just an aside and not a very important issue in the campaign to STOP ATIKU. Please Nigerians do not let your heart and flimsy emotion get the better hold of you; engage your logical cortex. Please remember that ICHEOKU has a choice not to bother with this election campaign, but fatherland is on the cusp of being handed to a very dangerous man and it is for real. It is one pull back from the cliff's edge which Nigerians can do and ICHEOKU urges them to please do. Atiku, NOT GOOD FOR NIGERIA.