On Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s “Emilokan” Moment

BY DAPO OKUBANJO

When the then Presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu made his now famous “Emilokan” speech in Abeokuta, Ogun State in June 2022, it was within the context of an internal arrangement within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was him throwing down the gauntlet for any potential challenge to his right to the party’s presidential ticket.

But unfortunately, it was twisted by some Nigerians including handlers of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to cast Tinubu in bad light in the run up to the 2023 Presidential election.

For the avoidance of doubt, Emilokan is a Yoruba word which literally means “it’s my turn” in all its audacity!

However, the recent exclusive interview by Arise TV’s Charles Aniagolu which has since gone viral has shown that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar may have been quietly waiting for his own “Emilokan” moment.

While that of President Tinubu appeared to have been well planned and properly delivered to great effect, that of the former Vice President is already causing tension within the ranks of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a time the party is bogged down by legal disputes.

Known to be a self-assured individual who always carries himself in a Presidential manner even several years after leaving office, Atiku Abubakar saw nothing wrong in declaring boldly, some say arrogantly, that none of the aspirants in the party has the sort of crowd he commands in Northern Nigeria.

If the message had been delivered in a more diplomatic manner, it could have gone easily unnoticed, but the politician who sees himself as the primus inter pares in the ADC (and indeed he is without doubt), namechecked every one that is believed to be in the race for the party’s presidential ticket from the North and was emphatic that he was more popular and acceptable than them.

The most startling is the reference to former Governor of Kano State Rabiu Kwankwaso, whose political strength Atiku not only restricted to Kano State, he also added, probably for effect, that the former New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader no longer has a towering command of that state, now that Governor Abba Yusuf has broken away from him.

Before tearing into Kwankwaso and others, the former Vice President had also declared that zoning had no place in ADC’s constitution while insisting that Northern Nigeria deserves the Presidency in 2027 having been had fewer years at the helm of the nation’s affairs.

So within a few minutes of the one hour-long interview, the former Vice President alienated presidential hopefuls in the party like Rotimi Amaechi and Peter Obi whose supporters have been flying “the Presidency must remain in the South” kite, by subtly hinting that the ADC Presidential ticket is for the North. And also threw aspirants from Northern Nigeria literally under the bus.

Expectedly, that interview has been eliciting reactions amongst members of the party, offline and online, even though none of the presidential aspirants has publicly reacted to him.

Only former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has since the Atiku interview, appeared on TV, where he simply presented himself as the only aspirant in the ADC with a record of positive performance in office.

As for Kwankwaso who was the last of the political titans to join ADC and whose political strength was ruthlessly brushed aside by the former Vice President, nothing has been heard from him yet, but given his penchant for responding to any perceived slight on his person, chances are that he may be looking for the best opportunity to respond forcefully.

So as we count down to the April 22 to May 30 window opened for parties to complete their nomination for the 2027 elections, the next few days will determine if Atiku’s emilokan moment would bear a similar outcome to that of President Tinubu.

-Dapo Okubanjo writes from Abuja