With the verdicts given by the Supreme Court on the malicious, vexatious and frivolous petitions brought to them by the Allied People’s Movement, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar & the Peoples Democratic Party as well as that of the Mr. Peter Obi & the Labour Party, the curtains have finally been drawn over the 2023 Presidential Election.
It is now time to say a big congratulations to the President and Commander- in -Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR). The election has come and gone, but not without leaving a couple of take home lessons for whoever that care to learn, particularly for the politicians aspiring for elective positions in future.
(1) Never depend solely on the strengths of ethnicity and religion to win election. Peter Obi did so, calling on the pulpits to take back their country. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar did same by disparaging the APC choice of Moslem-Moslem ticket. Peter Obi invoked the sentiments of his tribe, Indigbo, and Atiku Abubakar did same to his Hausa – Fulani for support. But all of these failed and failed woefully. Therefore, being a religious and, or an ethnic bigot does not add any value to you as a politician.
(2) In politics, don’t let out everything about yourself to a friend, no matter how close he is to you. Too much an exposure to friends is dangerous. This life! Friendship today and enemity tomorrow. Like one of my big brothers, Alhaji Muhammed Ogunleye would say: “If you don’t believe that betrayal exists, then visit where water is participating actively in the cooking of fish”. I wrote a couple of weeks ago on the topic: “With a friend like Atiku Abubakar, PBAT does not need an enemy”. Please be guided and be careful!
(3) Intimidating the judiciary by way of embarrassing and coercing them to do your bidding at the litigation stage in an election petition will hardly amount to anything.The Obidiots’ gangs and their Atikulooters’ allies did this to a ridiculous extent, maligning the judiciary and desecrating the temple of justice. But the bench remains steadfast, undeterred and stands firmly like the rock of Gibraltar. They ensured that justice is served, not minding whose ox is gored.
(4) Electoral success is predicated on having party structures. At some point before the 2023 general elections, the Labor Party, without apparent structures appeared to be gaining more momentum than the APC and PDP. This made the pundits to opine that paradigm shift was imminent, particularly at the presidential election. At the end of the day, it was the structures that delivered the votes and not the noise of the “Sorosoke generation”
(5) Elections are won by addition and multiplication of votes, not by subtraction and division. The moment you are losing high profile members of your party to the oppositions for whatever reasons, expect nothing but failure on the day of the election. For Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to have lost five Governors and his former running mate, Peter Obi to the oppositions before the election and still hopeful of winning the race, that actually depicts a man living in fool’s paradise.
(6) Election petitions are based on facts and not fictions or on one’s figments of imagination. It is never based on public opinions. Law and public opinions are kilometers apart. Evidence that are damning are also of importance and must be front loaded within a particular period of time (i.e 21 days) according to the electoral law. Any attempt to smuggle in evidence outside this period like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar attempted at the Supreme Court would certainly amount to an exercise in futility.
(7) Election is about planning and strategizing ahead of time. Never base your political arithmetic on sentiments and myth. All variables in politics don’t come out in absolute precision, therefore, adequate planning and replanning are of essence. The victory of PBAT was a result of long-term dexterous planning, spanning a period of three decades.
(8) It is not politically healthy to be looking for power at all costs. Though, it is good to make efforts, but the bottom line is that what will be, will be. Power belongs to God and He freely gives it to whoever He so wishes. Remember that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar did win the presidential primary election of the PDP out of desperation and circumstances full of animosities. He wilfully jettisoned the gentleman agreement of zoning between the North and the South. It backfired. Majority of those that did manipulate the primary elections, even at the gubernatorial level are today living in regret, and of course, licking their wounds.
(9) Propaganda is a virile and veritable instrument of politics. It works like magic when properly employed. However, there is a limit to the damage it can do to truth and absolute reality. The Atikulooters and Obidiots used it against PBAT on CSU certificate saga, but all to no avail. Therefore, learn to use propaganda wisely
(10) Antecedents matter in politics. The story of Lagos State actually aided the emergence of PBAT in the last Presidential Election. Lagos State since 1999 has been revolutionized especially in the areas of environmental improvements and economic prosperity. And the architect of this revolution is no less a person than PBAT. Therefore, if you are desirous of winning elections tomorrow, watch whatever you do today in all it ramifications. Your actions and inactions have the potentials of making or marring your chances in future.
(11) Courage is necessary. The journey to electoral success is not a smooth ride. The roads are often hilly, messy and muddy. It is only the strong and the chosen ones that can weather the storm. I remember how seriously PBAT was persecuted, maligned, abused, castigated, insulted and mocked on his way to the top. I remember that song that became Senator Dino Melaye’s anthem, “Emilokan, Emilokan, Emilokan… Emilokan, Hand dey shake, leg dey shake; baba wey no well he dey shout emilokan…” Wow, what a way to mock a fellow man and a septuagenarian for that matter! May the good Lord turn our mockery into glory! It is only a creature endowed with the right and adequate social, psychological and physical make up that can withstand such a terrible humiliation. Anyway, “Eniti yo je oyin inu apata, ko ni wo enu ake”. Never give up! Never look at your failures!! Never look at the stress!!! Always keep your eyes on the ball. That’s the message.
(12) Finance is a master key when it comes to struggling for power, most especially in the brand of democracy that we are practicing in Nigeria. However, money can only be useful where other essential factors are favourable. In fact, the value of money can only be measured in term of what one can achieve with it. It is on record that the trio of Tinubu, Atiku and Obi actually deployed massive funds into prosecuting the last presidential election. But the ultimate decider was not how much they spent individually, but on some other factors. If only money can buy the presidency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would have asked Nigerians to name their price since all these days, won the presidential election and put us in his pocket.
Finally, this is the time to move Nigeria forward. The elections and litigations are over. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to salvage the myriads of challenges confronting us today, most especially, on security and economy. There is no any other country we can call ours except Nigeria.
B. Aderemi Ogundele
(Jagunmolu)
