On Friday a public commentator, Alhaji Ahmed Bakare has berated the former vice president and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, and the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, for making Nyesom Wike a political hero.
In an exclusive interview with newsmen in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, Alhaji Bakare lamented that the Rivers State Governor had been made the doyen of Nigeria’s politics because of the two cabals chasing him everywhere in the name of joining their camps.
He said that the two old brigades and their associates have been following Wike, begging him to form an alliance with them as if Wike is all and all in Nigeria’s politics.
“Atiku has already forgotten that he once told the whole world that with or without Wike and Rivers State, he could still win election, then why is he chasing him everywhere,” he added.
“Apart from Atiku, Tinubu, and their associates, the media also contributed in building Wike’s political dynasty in Nigeria because everything about Wike always appears on the front pages of our national dailies.
“One thing they don’t know is that wike being the Governor of Rivers State has no constitutional power to force anybody to vote against his or her conscience.
“He has just one vote and he Wike cannot claim that everybody in Rivers State is with him.”
Bakare said that the Rivers State Governor has been in the news almost daily because they made him so great and so important, saying that both the ruling APC and opposition PDP have internal crises that their presidential candidates are supposed to have settled before chasing Wike around.
Speaking on the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, Bakare said that the party is on fire as the party’s chairman, Board of Trustee chairman, and the presidential candidate of the party are all from the northern region, advising Atiku to settle that issue first before Wine’s issue.
He said that people like Wike from the southern part of the country are unhappy with the development, pointing out that even the party’s leadership is confused over this issue.
On Tinubu and the All Progressive Congress (APC), he said that the party also has the problem of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, which the Christians, especially in the North, have been kicking against it outrightly.
Bakare quoted the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, saying that the Muslim/Muslim ticket was designed to kill, maim and eliminate Christianity from the entire system.
Bakare said that Babachir explained that the Muslim/Muslim ticket was aimed at eliminating Christians from any political, economic, educational, and social benefits of the country.
The public commentator, therefore, advised both Atiku and Tinubu to put their houses in order before making Wike a political hero.
“Both the APC and PDP should know better that the internal crisis rocking their parties are capable of denying them victory in 2023, and 1,000 of Wikes may not prevent the actions of Nigerians.
“Let APC not think that the Nigerians of yesteryears are still the Nigerians of today as the insecurity situation, economic hardships, high cost of living, and many other negative factors have made the electorates to be wiser politically.
“If time is not taking, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi may capitalize on their lapses of APC and PDP to run away with a landslide victory in the 2023 presidential election.
“The APC has come under serious criticisms, especially on the insecurity situation, abject poverty, and high cost of living in the land. The party, therefore, needs a lot of homework to convince Nigerians on why the party must return to power in 2023.
“If the APC capitalizes on the power of incumbency, it will fail woefully in 2023. The party leaders should reflect on what happened in the just concluded Osun governorship election, where PDP ran away with victory even though the APC candidate was a seating Governor.
“The PDP in the State capitalized on the lapses of APC like insecurity, abject poverty, high cost of living, and many other negative factors to convince electorates to revolt against APC through the ballot box.
“If the homework is not done properly, the same fate may befall APC in the presidential election because Nigerians are tired of the party’s government and are crying out for a total change.”
He urged the two old brigades to concentrate on mapping out formidable strategies that would give them victory in 2023 rather than chasing the shadow.
