By Demola Olarewaju
The prowess of Atiku Abubakar when it comes to party primaries was not built in a day and his recent successes at that level are built on a foundation of loss, defeat and tears.
His entry into politics in 1991 was marked by a bitter gubernatorial ticket rivalry between him and Bala Takaya, a rivalry so fierce that both men eventually were disqualified by the IBB regime. This disqualification was alongside the likes of Sule Lamido, Yusuf Sani, Dapo Sarumi, Femi Agbalajobi, Joe Nwodo, Hyde Onuaguluchi, Sergeant Awuse and others.
Also disqualified were 23 aspirants for the presidential ticket in that 3rd Republic and Atiku was drafted by Shehu Musa Yar’Adua to run in his stead for President.
With the backing of the powerful Yar’Adua machinery, Atiku came third in the first round of balloting, behind MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe. He was then asked to step down for Abiola and become his running mate but Abiola was forced by the SDP Governors to choose Kingibe instead. Atiku lost out, Atiku campaigned hard and Atiku delivered 140k+ Adamawa votes for SDP.
In 1999 after running successfully for Governor, he became Vice-President and then clinched the ticket of the AC in 2007 by caucus consensus.
By 2011, Atiku was back in the PDP and ran against sitting President Goodluck Jonathan, polling 805 delegates’ votes versus Jonathan’s 2,736. Atiku lost, Atiku campaigned hard and Atiku delivered Adamawa for PDP.
2015, Atiku found himself in APC and ran against Muhammadu Buhari and others. He came in third place with 954 delegates’ votes. Atiku lost, Atiku campaigned hard and Atiku delivered Adamawa for APC.
2019 – Atiku won the PDP presidential primaries in Port-Harcourt. Wike had then blackmailed PDP into bringing the National Convention to PH and within 24 hours, every single presidential suite in the city had become reserved. Wike claimed they said Atiku had paid for them and that he had asked them to return the man’s deposit. Atiku won the majority delegates’ votes defeating Saraki, Tambuwal, Sule Lamido etc.
2023 – Atiku won the PDP presidential primaries after being stepped down for by Tambuwal, much to the chagrin of Wike who has been embittered since then.
But notice Atiku never gets bitter after any primary or general election – he stays loyal and delivers votes for the candidate who defeated him and the party that hurt him.
And that’s one secret of how the man does it: by staying loyal to the general cause even when his interest is threatened or eliminated, Atiku has built an army of trusted political friends that span into every single state, political party or group interest.
By always subsuming his interest to the general interest per time, Atiku maintains razorlike focus on each KPI and in the process builds allies and sets up structure from the bottom up. Atiku doesn’t focus on the presidential primaries when Ward Excos are being elected, Atiku doesn’t think of his own aspiration while the party is looking for a National HQ building: to every political activity there is a time.
Thirdly, Atiku’s structures aren’t ever only for him – this House of Reps aspirant, that senatorial or gubernatorial hopeful – his structural interests even push down to state excos – as I found out to my own party electoral loss when I ran for Lagos State PDP Publicity Secretary. Atiku never walks alone, he always aggregates other political interests.
These are just three reasons (observable from outside) for why he is so formidable in party primaries. Those who think it is about money can go and ask Nyesom Wike about 2019 and 2023.
I hope other presidential aspirants can learn from Atiku on both how to win primaries and how to accept defeat gracefully.
As long as we agree that whoever loses will still work for the greater interest against the person now in Aso Rock, as Atiku has always done: we can meet at the primaries.