2023 – That Atiku Abubakar 5 Point-Agenda

Opinion:

BY OLADIPọ OLUWọLE

The former Nigeria vice president and PDP presidential aspirant towards the 2023 general elections, His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, during the party recent screening exercise and his official declaration in Abuja, unfolded his 5point agenda as follows – the Unity of the country, Security, Economy, Education and Devolution of resources/powers to the federating units. But, an average despondent Nigerian electorate is already tired of the frequent disappointing electoral promises, and paper tiger agenda of the political parties. Hence, Alhaji Atiku’s new 5Point-agenda seems to be viewed not quite differently from those of the past!

However, the present precarious situation in the country, has thrown up new challenges, demanding different pragmatic approaches that no serious Nigerian voter, presidential aspirant, and political party, worthy of being reckoned with, should neglect. Hence, the need to analyse Atiku’s 5POINT-AGENDA, like others, for better understanding of its essence, in relation to the current situations, as follows:

Is UNITY, as number one on the Atiku’s agenda, really a top priority and not an illusion?  Can it be easily achieved in the present circumstances? How realistic is the Atiku 2023 UNIFIER campaign slogan?

The second item, SECURITY, equally begs for further questionings, with the daily escalations of the dangers it poses to human lives and properties! While the 3rd item, Economy, apart from the daily heavy losses of lives in the 2nd item, seems to be the most troubled with heavy casualty in the debt ridden economy, with enormous accumulated external borrowings, running into trillions.

The decadence in education system, as the 4th item, especially at the tertiary level, is a matter of he who feels it knows it! And public university students, currently having a well deserved or otherwise siestas/holidays at homes, are the living witnesses.

However, the last item, devolution of resources/powers to the federating units, will be the most attractive policy statement, in Atiku’s agenda, to the Nigerian masses that are daily yearning for a drastic change in the current lopsided and unwholesome system, for necessary productivity, better development and growth.

A cursory and un-prejudiced look at Atiku’s 5point-agenda, in meeting the yearnings/aspirations of the masses, is the systemic presentation of the current national problems in order/sequence of challenges , and their appropriateness from the need for unity to security, economy, education and lastly devolution of resources/powers to the federating units All of which made the first important issue of unity not to come last, or vice-versa!

Atiku’s 5th item on his political agenda, really makes the lofty idea of restructuring definitive, with time frame/time lag for the devolution as the starting point, and not necessarily an end in itself!

What content analysis can one, therefore, make of another presidential aspirant agenda, whose priority is to pay students WAEC fees, or another talking of stomach infrastructures in a federation? How about the one who run around the stadium for show of fitness, on the day of his presidential declaration, and eventually rounded up with a commemorative church service in anticipation of his presidential poll victory come 2023? While some others, merely engaged in rhetorical display of declaration appearance funfairs, in emptiness of the real agendas/programmes of action to our present precarious situations!

There are, however, one or two others, whose agendas are well concise, and in tune with the present damning realities/enormous tasks ahead, begging for serious presidential candidates from the two dominant political parties, and not mere presidential declaration jamboree!!

Nigeria, as a nation, has not been so divided, even not during the last civil war – Alhaji Atiku Abubakar expatiated and concurred in his presidential declaration address.

What will this Atiku’s exposed reality of the magnitude of the present discord in our nation, therefore, really portend for the country future stability after 2023, should in case of another wrong choice of an unprepared President, based on emotion, extraneous issues and ethno-religious prejudice/sentiment?

*Oladipọ Oluwọle is the former Director of Information & Education, Ogun State and he writes from 39, Mosorire Street, Soka, Ibadan.  Oladipooluwole21@gmail.com. 08033598528.