Three odd men

Two weeks ago, one of those politically charged but substantially hollow events recurred again in Kaduna. We woke up to read that the odd pair of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, vice president from 1999-2007; and Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, Sokoto state governor from 1999-2007 went to Kaduna where they held a closed-door meeting with Nigeria’s knottiest political oddity, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), who was also the Presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003 and 2007. After about three hours, they came out of the meeting and Mr. Sule Hamma, the administrative head of a very people-unfriendly outfit called The Buhari Organization (TBO) who was obviously part of the meeting told expectant newsmen what they already knew: that the three had met for three hours and no earth-shaking revelations.
What they discussed or failed to discuss at the meeting is not very significant at this point; but it was morally correct and politically stimulating that those three strange bed-fellows are now sharing the same couch, even if it was only for three hours. And don’t forget that the meeting was not at the Yar’adua Centre, or even at Arewa House, but in Buhari’s leafy Sultan close residence, about 50 metres away from the residence of the late Shehu Musa Yar’adua, President Yar’adua’s elder brother. You can imagine the coziness. Or the mental activity in that place.

It also wouldn’t require a degree in Astronomy to make a calculated guess as to what the agenda of the meeting was. There were probably two items on the agenda; one could be how to dislodge the PDP, while the second, trickier item, which was most likely not stated, was about the ‘order of preference’. In other words who would be first, second and third. In plain English it means who would be the trio’s Presidential candidate in 2011; who would nominate vice presidential candidate, and who would bring party chairman in the event of merger, etc.

Clearly, this is not a matter that can be resolved in three hours, or even three weeks; but it provides a glimmer of hope, if you would excuse the optimism, where there is none. Alas! Something happened a few days after that meeting which dimmed even that tiny spark of energy from the Kaduna meeting. Alhaji Ya’u Darazo (I thought the fellow had retired to a farm somewhere in Bauchi) while responding to reporters’ questions in Kaduna on the meeting broke the heart of those who held out hope that the meeting would produce something tangible. He was quoted as saying that he had nothing more to add to what had already been said. That was okay, but he didn’t stop there; he went on to add, rather angrily, that the reporters should go and ask Atiku and Bafarawa because “the meeting was at their instance”.

God! So bloody what if the meeting was at their instance. No doubt Mr Darazo probably thinks the TBO was doing a favour to anybody that visits Buhari in his house. Well, if Darazo and the TBO think that way they must hear this: no culture in the world, certainly not in Africa, accepts that warped interpretation of what constitutes a favour. The accepted norm is that your guest is your master, that is why you are obliged to offer him a seat and a glass of water, at the vey least. If Mr Darazo would like to know, whoever initiated the meeting did right by man and by God as well; meaning it wouldn’t take away anything from Buhari if it turned out he was the one that summoned the duo to a meeting.

For the record, this is what some of us think of Buhari. We love him; we respect him and we trust him. We also believe his decision to join politics was borne out of genuine concern for his country, an unsullied sense of patriotism, no more. What is more, in spite of his human imperfections, on aggregate, we feel he is the most viable option to lead our country under the present ‘dark clouds, (with apology to Nuhu Ribadu) that hover above us. But we have no such cool feelings about the people around him. We recognize Buhari’s need to keep around him people who are loyal to him, people whom he can trust. But their loyalty to Buhari does not translate into disrespect for others, whoever those others are.

This brings us to the critical question of what Buhari should do when political gladiators like Atiku and Bafarawa come calling. First, he has every reason to be wary; he’s had dealings with all types and at one point they were in the same party, the ANPP, with Bafarawa. The public is yet to know the real cause of their fallen apart but whatever it was, was pretty bitter; and as the saying goes, “If a man deceives you once, shame on him, if he deceives you a second time, shame on you”. So Buhari knows what he knows and he knows best what to do.

As for Atiku, I’ve always wondered what could happen, or what could have happened, if Buhari had Atiku’s politick, or if Atiku had Buhari’s character. No offence intended to Atiku; actually, politicians with stronger character than Buhari’s are either extinct or yet to show themselves. But one cannot say the same about the character of members of his TBO. Atiku may be embattled, and speaking for myself, I would rather stay at home if was the only candidate in a presidential election; but that does not mean he has no political value. Our country is at a cross roads; there is no doubt that the PDP is well advanced on its way to becoming a behemoth, some might even argue convincingly that it is already there.

If the party would not change and do things right, there is the very urgent need for all hands to be on deck to challenge its dominance. Having tried once, twice, without success, Buhari certainly needs to change strategy. The recent statement credited to him that he would contest the 2011 presidential elections was right on target; that is the spirit. People love it; we love it, when our hero says “No Shaking”.  By the same token the statement issued in Port Harcourt on behalf of Atiku by Eze Chukwuemeke Eze, an official of the AC, that for Atiku, the presidency is not a “Do-or-die affair” was also appropriate and commendable. He should not be made to feel small by people who are no bigger than he is just because he sought a meeting with Buhari. Buhari needs to spread his wings and as the proverbial ‘water for putting out the fire’, accommodate everyone according to their weight and value.