FLASHBACK: How Obasanjo’s son endorsed Buhari against father’s wish

The more things change, the more they stay the same is a popular saying ascribed to ancient French writer, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr.

On Thursday night, news broke that one of the sons of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, had done what some may consider the unbelievable. But in politics, the words of Karr ring true. Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, popularly known as Abba, endorsed President Bola Tinubu, his father’s political ally turned rival, for reelection.

The younger Atiku not only endorsed Tinubu but converted the arsenal he put together for his father in the last election into a war chest for Tinubu by directing all the coordinators and members of the Haske Atiku Organisation to immediately align with the APC and support the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He had said, “My name is Abubakar Atiku Abubakar, but everyone calls me Abba. I am here today to formally announce my exit from my former party, where we worked in 2023, and my decision to join the APC. With this development, I will work to actualise the second term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, come 2027.”

This episode is a reminder of how Olujonwo Obasanjo, son of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, endorsed former President Muhammadu Buhari in the buildup to the 2019 election. At that period, Obasanjo had fallen out with Buhari, whom he demarketed at virtually every possible opportunity.

The elder statesman had asked Nigerians to vote out Buhari, a position his son rejected.

in a two-page statement of endorsement of buhari, Obasanjo’s son admitted that no human could be perfect, and listed what he claimed as the achievements of the Buhari administration.

“The current administration has begun the process of laying a solid foundation for future generations. They have deliberated and contemplated extensively on our myriad of issues and complexity as a nation to proffer deeply rooted plans and polices to tackle and establish a strong base on which to build and consolidate upon.”

“It is also important to note that this process is not without pains but we should consider where we were, where we are and where we are going. The current administration has given hope to the common man; it is the dawn of a new age.

“I would humbly and strongly appeal that we all embrace and support Buhari’s government in his aggressive, relentless pursuit of equitable distribution of wealth and resources to the masses to aid the growth and development of our nation. He is seriously improving and empowering local farmers, industrialists, the women, the SME and businessmen.

“The government is serious about development and has given new life to the steel industry and the Buhari Administration is determined to industrialise our nation and to make us a producing nation and the revival of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex and completion of the baro and Lokoja ports are examples.

“The current administration has sought to address our importation of petroleum products through the relocation of refineries. These are few examples, a whole book is needed to put the achievement and successes of the current administration into details. The current administration has invested more in education, health, agriculture, security, road infrastructural development to aid the growth of the economy despite receiving less revenue.

“The ingenuity of the current administration in proffering solutions is highly commendable. No human is perfect, no government is perfect, only the Creator of heaven and earth embodies perfection. We are on the right path and should not deviate.

“The youths of our great nation should join hands and support the progress and giant strides of President Buhari, he is working commendably to free us from past bondage and captivity.

“We are on the right path but we must not go back into bondage again. I am calling on the youths of our nation to let us work together to return President Buhari to power in 2019,” he had said.

Coincidentally, Atiku, whose son’s action elicited this piece, was the one Obasanjo sided with at the time.

Recall that Atiku was Buhari’s main challenger in 2019. Currently, he is seeking the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to run against Tinubu in what would be his third straight attempt at the presidency, should he get the ticket.

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