Tambuwal’s Master Stroke: How northern solidarity gave Atiku victory, by Ademola Adebayo
The emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at the just concluded People’s Democratic Party special convention on Saturday has given credence to the old time saying that “blood is thicker than water”.
Sequel to Saturday’s “political battle of wits”, Rivers state Governor Nyesome Wike and other PDP aspirants had deployed all they could to sway delegates in their favour.
READ ALSO: Tinubu congratulates Atiku on victory, welcomes him to presidential contest
Typical of the Nigerian political settings, every arsenal at the disposal of the aspirants was put to test from crisscrossing the length and breadth of the country, to the unpalatable financial inducements, alignments were sought and political permutations were worked out tirelessly.
Going by the clout of his influence on the Nigerian political space, Atiku Abubakar was seen as the “bigger boy” who had a clear war chest capable of intimidating any other aspirant to clinch the ticket. But then, there was the rugged and vocal Wike, whom many believed could stage an upset.
A former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, equally displayed doggedness in the build-up to the process, only for him to withdraw citing issues that bothered on his morality.
Seasoned economist and banker, Mohammed Hayatudeen, also fell back when he observed the trajectory of the build-up and chose to use the cliche “obscenely monetised process”, as his reason for bowing out.
Former Senate Presidents, Bukola Saraki, Anyim Pius Anyim, former House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and a few others were hence left to slug it out in a contest observers watched with bated breath.
Convention Day Master Stroke
According to a post on the verified Facebook page of an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri; Atiku emerged winner of the presidential election following the decision of Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State to step down for the former Vice President.
According to him, Wike had supported the presidential ambition of Governor Tambuwal in the 2019 presidential election against Atiku.
Reno stated that the South needs to learn from the North on how to play such politics.
He wrote, “The South has a lot to learn from the genuine brotherly love and unity displayed by Northerners.
“Consider that though Wike backed Tambuwal against HE Atiku in 2019, the same Tambuwal has turned around to back HE Atiku against Wike in 2022. Northern solidarity! It is something that the South lacks.
“Tambuwal has shown that Northern solidarity is thicker and stronger than financial solidarity”, he posted.
What needs to be clear here is that politics, no matter how it is played, always boils down to innate interests. And such interests, at least as seen in the last few hours could come in whatever form.
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