TDIn the intricate game of Nigerian politics, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has often been the fastest man on the pitch, only to find the flag raised for offside. At 83, political analysts suggest the “Waziri of Adamawa” has finally run out of grass to cover.
In a scathing review of a three-decade-long chess match, pundits point to three specific moments where Atiku stood at the threshold of power, only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The OBJ Trap (1999-2007)
The first offside occurred during the Obasanjo era. According to insiders, Atiku could have served President Olusegun Obasanjo faithfully and allowed the “Third Term” agenda to pass quietly. In return, the presidency would have naturally swung to the North in 2007—with Atiku as the heir.
Instead, the open warfare between the duo led to Atiku’s exile from the PDP, handing the ticket to the late Umaru Yar’Adua.
The London Ultimatum (2015)
The most dramatic “what if” remains the secret meeting in the United Kingdom. Then-President Goodluck Jonathan, sensing political death, invited Atiku to plead for unity.
Atiku looked the sitting President in the face and reportedly said: “Mr. President, never!! It is the turn of the north. You either quit your ambition, or I defect to the APC with five PDP Governors loyal to me. Either way, I will win the APC ticket and defeat you.”
He defected. However, karma struck swiftly. Not only did he come a distant third in the APC primaries (losing to Muhammadu Buhari), but history repeated itself in 2023. The “G5” governors—a ghost of the five he once led—dumped him to support Bola Tinubu.
The Wike Mistake (2022)
The third offside was emotional. Entering the 2023 race, Atiku held the Northern card firm.
Analysts argue that if he had picked Nyesom Wike as his running mate, the five G5 governors would have stayed loyal, and the presidency would be his.
Instead, he chose a “crude oil money featherweight with no electoral value” as his running mate.
His emotions beclouded his judgment, and the ticket collapsed like a house of cards.
The Final Chance: Kingmakerq
At 83, Atiku is “done” as a candidate. But providence may offer a final salvage.
Political watchers suggest he has only two paths left: He can become the Kwankwasially-Obidient—throwing his weight behind the younger generation and the Northern populists, mirroring the dignity of the title of “The Unifier.”
Or, he can choose the path of “Konan the Destroyer” of the ADC, swinging his weight to spoil the shop for everyone else.
“In politics, when you can no longer be the player, become the kingmaker.
Beating the offside trap means retiring the jersey,” the analysis concludes.
Everything else is offside.
May Nigeria win.
