Nigeria: Atiku, Obi mobilise for 2027

Anthony Ekene Onwuka, a Germany-based lawyer and international project management expert, writes about Nigerian politics and the ongoing collaboration, strategy and mobilization efforts of two presidential candidates from the 2023 elections as they prepare for the 2027 race.

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During his time at the White House, former President Obama spent most of the time castigating Donald Trump as being “unqualified, temperamentally unfit and a threat to the republic”, and one who should never be president. This was just as Mr. Trump questioned Mr. Obama’s birthplace and legitimacy, branding the nation’s first black president “weak” and called his tenure a “disaster”.

But something unimaginable happened: the two men met face to face for the first time for a 90-minute discussion in the Oval Office and shook hands, making a public show of putting their bitter differences aside with Obama promising to support Trump to succeed in the overall interest of America while Trump, uncharacteristically subdued beside Mr. Obama, called the president “a good man”.

On Monday 10 February 2025, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar GCON, along with his political associates visited his former boss and former President of the Federal Republic, Olusegun Obasanjo, at his palatial home in Abeokuta, Ogun State to greet him in the New Year and the whole country went agog with the social media community being reminded of the face-off between both politicians years back.

Perhaps it would be apt at this point to remind Nigerians that politics is a game of interest and as some would rightly posit: “in politics, there are no permanent enemies but permanent interests”.

Everywhere in the world, visits of any kind have come to be accepted not just as a symbol of respect but also as a platform to reaffirm a people’s love, belief and confidence in the leadership of the host. During visitations, family feuds can be resolved; also during visitation to the clergy, a visitor can have a curse reversed. In traditional circles, marriages are contracted during visits by the suitor’s family, while once political foes can have their differences amicably addressed in heart-to-heart discussions during visitations.

It was perhaps unthinkable that President Obama would meet with Donald Trump, his successor at the White House in the first step to carry out the peaceful transition of power in the American Republic after such exchanges prior to the elections at that time. But such is life! One can never tell what fate has in future for us and who would be the source of our elevation.

But why is Atiku’s visit to “Baba Iyabo” raising so much dust? Why are Nigerians not asking questions about why their president Bola Ahmed Tinubu who swore to leave Nigeria better than when he met it, is globetrotting with reckless abandon? For the umpteenth time since assuming office as President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has travelled outside the country on private visits and whatever he does in such visits are not made public because as said ab-initio, they are private visits. But sadly he uses the people’s money to embark on those private visits which may be only for his family’s benefits, and Nigerians have turned a blind eye but rather choosing to pick on the goings-on in Donald Trump’s America.

Just last week, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, visited Generals Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) at their Minna, Niger State residences. When asked why the visits, she said “my visits to the former Nigerian leaders are private visits without any political undertone”. She declared: “The Nigerian leaders have been very supportive of the government of President Bola Tinubu and they have always encouraged Mr. President”. Of course as a free citizen she has the inalienable right to visit who she wants and no one can question her.

That Atiku led his team to pay homage to former President Olusegun Obasanjo should not be blown over the roofs as he too has his unfettered right for the visitation, be it political or otherwise.

Nigeria has reached a crescendo point where patriots and citizens must be unanimous in seeking an alternative to this crisis-ridden, rudderless, inept administration of Bola Tinubu which has in less than two years taken our once lovable country into the land of no return.

Day by day, businesses are folding up, multi-nationals are closing shop, inflation continues to soar unassailably, citizens are at the receiving end and are paying new taxes introduced by the government to further whittle down their financial powers, electricity tariffs have skyrocketed, toll gates have resurfaced and only God knows the quantum of corruption this will witness, while incidents of suicide have continued to spike. What a time to be a Nigerian!

Luckily two Nigerian patriots stand out of the rest and are in pole position to rescue this country from sinking further into oblivion. Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are both technocrats and astute businessmen whose businesses have thrived despite not being in the corridors of power for so long.

A joint ticket for both will diminish the albatross which will not only see Nigeria, the most populous African nation breathe again but regain her rightful place as the economic/political giant of Africa.

Let the visitations begin. It is good enough for democracy and Nigeria in particular.