I stumbled on an article in which the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, through his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, made a puerile attempt to rubbish the Thanksgiving Service by former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
His argument was that Wike, who was thanking God for surviving a poisoning incident was not poisoned as he claimed but was sick owing to intake of alcohol.
The statement is the ultimate display of childishness and reflects a hollow mind burdened, blinded, and driven by the pain and confusion of defeat. If not, how or why should what a former Governor says in his place of worship between him and his God be of concern to Atiku ?
Atiku’s statement should not come from any religious conscientious person as it is not only an insult on the church but on the ideal of thanksgiving, which is also held highly in Islam.
However, even if Atiku does not have the religious piety to guide his tongue, his appreciation of medical science and common sense should have been adequate guide for him.
He ignored the obvious fact that the poison verdict was from a medical diagnosis. It was also beside basic reasoning for him not to factor in the stated symptoms and nature of recovery to reach his verdict.
It is worth mentioning that while the Ambassador Damagun led National Working Committee of the PDP was at the thanksgiving event, taking steps towards reconciling the party members, Atiku seemed frustrated by the prospect of peace and forcefully moved in the opposite direction. If an unprovoked Atiku could say this much about the most significant reconciliation events in the PDP, one can only imagine the kind of advice the self acclaimed unifier gives the NWC privately.
At the end of the day, one can not totally blame Atiku for showing this level of frustration as he has been contesting for President for the past 30 years and has been rejected by Nigerians in every electoral cycle from 1993 till date.
With him fast fading into political irrelevance and leaving the scene as Nigeria’s portrait of electoral failure, Atiku cuts the figure of a frustrated man deserving of pity.
As it is today, even if Atiku were to organise a thanksgiving for his life or even resurrect from the dead, he wouldn’t be able to attract the caliber of dignitaries and attention of Nigerians like Governor Wike did at his thanksgiving.
Therefore, his frustration is understood and it is obvious that at the level he has sunk politically, even Atiku will look Atiku in the mirror and pity Atiku for throwing away his brightest chance of ever becoming Nigeria’s President on the altar of political arrogance.
Marshal Obuzor
