No issues emerge as Atiku clarifies his position on Okowa

By Adeleye Kunle

Track News aired an interview with Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, injecting new life into the country’s political discourse.

The wide-ranging interview, hosted by Dr Rueben Abati and Tundun Abiola, has strengthened the television station’s position as a mainstay for fearless political debate in the country.

The interview shed new light on several issues that had previously been murky or viewed as contentious in relation to Atiku.

One of the most contentious revelations was the appearance of a running mate.

It should be noted that, prior to naming his running mate, the mass media was awash with reports that the 20-man committee he, Atiku, caused to be formed had recommended Governor Nyesom Wike with 16 votes in its report.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa received three votes, with one abstention. Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State is said to have received no votes.

To nearly everyone’s surprise, Atiku chose Governor Okowa, sparking another round of crisis following what was reported as Governor Nyesom Wike’s rejection in the presidential primaries.

How could he form a committee to do something only to come out and trash the committee’s report?

However, speaking for the first time on the subject, Atiku cleared the air by claiming that there was no voting among the committee members.

He even challenged his interviewers, saying he could show them the committee’s report, which clearly did not include voting.

Furthermore, as many have stated, and as Atiku stated yesterday, the choice of a running mate is the candidate’s prerogative.

He vehemently defended the selection of Okowa, whose political pedigree he traced back to the grassroots, and affirmed his intellectual robustness, as well as his readiness to be president.

Given that the PDP’s greatest fear may be a surge in the Obedient Movement, Atiku came out to confirm his long-standing love affair with the Southeast.

Though he did not mention that the romance led to him choosing a wife from the Southeast, he did mention that it led him to choose Ben Obi in 2007 and Peter Obi in 2019 as running mates.

He stated that he chose Governor Okowa, who is from Delta State’s Ibo speaking region, along the same lines.

If nothing else, it is a revelation that should put Atiku on the radar of any Igbo voter who is tired of Peter Obi.

Atiku also used the opportunity to express his views on a number of other issues, including his support for police reform, more boots on the ground, and the lopsidedness of the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s appointments.

Another significant revelation was Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s claim about his long-standing opposition to a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

After their secret affair ahead of the 2007 election, Atiku revealed that the issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket was the point of departure between him and Tinubu.

As a reporter who covered the Atiku campaign prior to the election, your correspondent recalls how the Lagos State Government’s powers, which were initially brought to bear in the Atiku campaign, were abruptly disengaged after Senator Ben Obi was named running mate.

We only heard whispers and knew only a little at the time. We now have complete information.

In addition, there were other revelations in the Arise Tv interview about how Atiku got his money, his position on open grazing, subsidies, and other issues.

Until now, Peter Obi has been the only one of the major three candidates willing to speak extensively with the media about policies and programs.

After nearly eight years of Buhari, the era of two-line quotes and trust in political actors’ body language is no longer acceptable.

While many praised the interview with Atiku, many felt it was insufficiently probing. Indeed, some have questioned why it was recorded and whether it should have been broadcast live.

However, immediately after the interview aired, Rueben Abati extended an open invitation to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, stating that Arise TV was waiting for him to come on board for an interview.

Given that Tinubu, Nigeria’s busiest political operator, has not given such a live sit-down interview in a long time, it would be an appropriate time for him to clear several issues surrounding his candidacy.

Atiku has indeed challenged him on the Muslim-Muslim ticket, and neither he nor his public relations aides can avoid it. However, he is dealing with a slew of other issues, ranging from identity issues to court cases involving issues that occurred while he was in the United States.

These and other issues would make the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu interview worth watching.

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