Marshal Obuzor, former media aide to Nyesom Wike, immediate
past governor of Rivers, has said that display of arrogance by former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakre, cost him the nation’s presidency.
Atiku Abubakar, who was Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 presidential election was defeated alongside other contests by Bola Tinubu, the current Nigerian President.
“Atiku Abubakar s frustrated for failing to
achieve his presidential ambition after 30 years of asking”, Obuzor said.
In a statement on Sunday, Obuzor said Atiku wasted his
chances of becoming president of Nigeria due to his “political arrogance”
Wike had earlier organised a thanksgiving service for
escaping death by poisoning twice, during his tenure as governor.
However, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s media aide, had said Wike
should be organising confessions, rather than thanksgiving services.
Shaibu said Wike’s confessions would not be accepted, unless
he repents for “badly” governing Rivers.
Reacting to Atiku’s remarks, Obuzor said the former
vice-president “cuts the figure of a frustrated man deserving pity”.
“The statement is the
ultimate display of childishness and reflects a hollow mind burdened, blinded,
and driven by the pain and confusion of defeat. If not, how or why should a former governor say in his place of worship between him and his God be of
concern to Atiku?,” the statement reads.
“Atiku’s statement should not come from any religious
conscientious person as it is not only an insult on the church, but on the ideal
of thanksgiving, which is also held highly in Islam.
“However, even if Atiku does not have the religious piety to
guide his tongue, his appreciation of medical science and common sense should
have been adequate guide for him.
“He ignored the obvious fact that the poison verdict was
from a medical diagnosis. It was also beside basic reasoning for him not to
factor in the stated symptoms and nature of recovery to reach his verdict.”
Obuzor added that if Atiku were to organise a similar
thanksgiving, he wouldn’t attract the calibre of persons who graced Wike’s.
“At the end of the day, one cannot totally blame Atiku for
showing this level of frustration as he has been contesting for president for
the past 30 years and has been rejected by Nigerians in every electoral cycle
from 1993 till date,” he said.
“With him fast fading into political irrelevance and leaving
the scene as Nigeria’s portrait of electoral failure, Atiku cuts the figure of
a frustrated man deserving of pity.
“As it is today, even if Atiku were to organise a
thanksgiving for his life or even resurrect from the dead, he wouldn’t be able
to attract the calibre of dignitaries and attention of Nigerians like governor
Wike did at his thanksgiving.
“Therefore, his
frustration is understood and it is obvious that at the level he has sunk
politically, even Atiku will look Atiku in the mirror and pity Atiku for
throwing away his brightest chance of ever becoming Nigeria’s president on the
altar of political arrogance.”
