I have been observing the recent moves by a former
Vice President of Nigeria Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who
is also a veteran aspirant for the office of the
President. Atiku Abubakar has suddenly shifted from
his subtle campaign for President to what seem to
be like an almost direct campaign for the number
one seat in the country. In the Social media, some
sycophantic groups and individual with inspiration
from their stomach have been making noise by
endorsing the Turaki Adamawa-perhaps, with
expectation of gratification "when the time comes".

While I am not against Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to
exercise his right to aspire for the office of the
President in 2019 or any office in Nigeria, I have the
responsibility as a young man, a patriot and a youth
leader in my own right to enlighten Nigerians and
eligible voters about Alhaji Atiku Abubakar's
candidacy (just like I would to any other aspirant for
the office).

I shall give some reasons why Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
is unfit to occupy the office he is aspiring for;
1. Lack of Integrity:
During the period when he was the Vice President of
the country, Atiku was appointed to chair the
Petroleum Technology Development Fund by the
President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. As Chairman of
Petroleum Training Development Fund(PTDF), Atiku
lodged over $30million and $164 in Trans
International Bank and Equatorial Trust Bank
respectively from the account of PTDF according to
EFCC's forensive indictment in 2006. In fact, 'loans'
that yielded interest as high as 15% to the banks
were collected from the said banks by Atiku and his
proteges AFTER PTDF millions of dollars has been
lodged with the illegal account. It was all business!
When the deal was busted in 2006, Atiku simply said
that he 'kept the monies for safe-keeping' and even
claimed that he deserves commendation. He
brought back the PTDF "capital" that he put in
private account and benefited hugely from it.
Atiku Abubakar was indicted by EFCC, Senate, and a
Presidential Committee. He is yet to clear his name.
As usual, a court that he went to never discussed
whether he was innocent or guilty, but simply said
the FG Committee lacks power to investigate and
indict Atiku Abubakar because they weren't courts.
You may look these for reference.
http://
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6402241.stm
www.saharareporters.com/2006/09/24/objatiku-
scandal-what-efcc-failed-disclose-
thenewssaharareporters
www.saharareporters.com/2007/02/28/breaking-
news-ptdf-scandal-senate-indicts-obj-atiku-
impeachment-motion-looms

It is a shame that we are in a country where we
forget easily. Otherwise, how could sane Nigerians
be asking for Atiku's Presidency when Nigerians in
unison were asking for him to come out clean as for
back as 2006.
Apart from the PTDF, Nigerians are yet to
understand how Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from a
humble background became an extraordinary
billionaire despite the fact that most of his
productive adult life was spent in the Nigeria
Custom Service.
There is also an indictment on Atiku in the USA, I am

yet to see him take up the challenge to take a trip to
the United States as requested by exPresident
Olusegun Obasanjo in 2014.

2. Tribal Supremacism:
One of the challenge of President Buhari's
administration is that he is more aligned with his
brothers in the north than with the rest of the
country, hough Buhari has never hidden where is
primary loyalty lies (his north). While many think
Atiku is detribalised (we can only be patriotic and
not detribalised anyway), the bare truth is that Atiku
is a northern supremacist that believe that his
northerners should always align with their own.
Unlike Buhari, Atiku is pretentious about his- but his
sin shall find him out.

In 2010, in their bid to stop Goodluck Jonathan from
seeking the ticket of PDP in the 2011 Presidential
election, Atiku Abubakar, Aliyu Gusau, Gen IBB and
Bukola Saraki(now Senate President) all submitted
themselves to Adamu Ciroma led Northern Political
Leaders Forum to come up with a consensus
NORTHERN candidate to upstage Southern Goodluck
Jonathan. Atiku was eventually chosen as the
eventual "northern candidate" over Saraki, who
wasn't considered "northern enough" by the Ciroma
led Forum. Atiku led a campaign in the north that he
christened "Naka Sai Naka" meaning "Northerners
go for your own".
The record is there for all to see http://
www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-12193681

3. Insincerity And Deception:
Atiku is a very wealthy man no doubt, but of late we
have seen a picture of him drinking sachet water aka
pure water. When did Atiku start drinking such? Who
is he trying to deceive? We won't forget the N40
sacthet Milo/tea gimmicks that the Buhari campaign
employed to deceive gullible Nigerians into believing
that he was a "poor man". We won't forget the
"akara" frying stunt of Mrs Aisha Buhari during the
electioneering period in 2015. We should realise that
when politicians are desperate, they take to any act
just to impress and deceiving the gullible into giving
them their votes. #NeverAgain should we be falling
for such. It amounts to deception in the part of the
elite to continue to use such gimmicks.

Also, Atiku has been making case for federalism and
stuffs, but in ALL his years in Aso Rock as VeePee, he
never initiated nor suggested such. In fact, Atiku was
a very powerful VeePee between 1999 and 2003, as
he was in charge of home-front while Obasanjo was
travelling the world, yet he never thought of any pro-
Federalism/restructuring policy. It is true that he
fought against the third term agenda of Obasanjo,
but we all know that he did it so that he can be able
to succeed the president in 2007- he didn't do it for
Nigeria.

4. What Does He Have To Offer That He Can't
Suggest To Incumbents?
Atiku is part of the political system in Nigeria. In
1993 he ran for President, but lost to MKO Abiola in
the Social Democratic Party primary election. In
2007, he ran for Presidency under Action Congress,
but lost to Umaru Yaradua of PDP, and coming
behing ANPP's General Buhari. In 2011 he ran for
Presidency and lost to Jonathan in the contest for
PDP ticket. In 2014, he ran again but lost to
Muhammadu Buhari in the APC primary, coming
behind second placed Rabiu Kwankwaso. Now he is
eyeing 2019! What is Atiku looking for after serving
as Vice President for eight years? What did he forget
in the villa that he wants to go back to get?
Atiku is already 70, he will be 73 in 2019, he is not an
outsider of the system (like the American Trump),
what does he have to offer that he couldn't offer as
VeePee? What stops him from sharing his
"developmental" ideas to the incumbents since 1999
(considering that he was always in the incumbent
parties)? What stops Alhaji Atiku from grooming
younger, smarter and intelligent politician for the
plum job?

Like I said earlier in my first paragraph, I am not
against the right of Atiku to seek office, but I am
against the idea of him becoming President. Nigeria
cannot afford to continue to rotate failures and
grannies. We need generational shift in leadership,
we need to retire the system elite and bring him
visionaries in 2019.
Nigeria has to be great for our own good, and we
must make it great!