Osita Okechukwu, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has identified Atiku Abubakar’s “Kasuwa Ndollar” primary election as a significant threat to Nigeria’s democracy, arguing it’s a greater concern than President Bola Tinubu’s actions. Okechukwu’s statement comes in response to Atiku’s earlier warning about the weakening of opposition parties under the current administration. He suggests that a deeper examination of the current political landscape would reveal that Atiku’s own actions have contributed to the state of Nigerian democracy.
Okechukwu specifically pointed to Atiku’s insistence on the “Kasuwa Ndollar” presidential primary election. He believes that this adherence to a particular election style, rather than adhering to the rotation convention and Section 7 of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Constitution, has significantly destabilized the PDP and contributed to an alleged one-party state.
According to Okechukwu, Atiku Abubakar is a primary culprit in this unforced error that has severely impacted the PDP. He asserts that a more thorough look would reveal how the breach of the rotation convention, a foundational elite consensus in the Fourth Republic, played a decisive role in the current political mess.
What is the rotation convention in Nigerian politics? The rotation convention is an informal agreement or understanding in Nigerian politics, particularly concerning the presidency, that power should alternate between the northern and southern geopolitical regions of the country. This is intended to promote national unity, equity, and stability by ensuring that different regions have a turn to lead.
Okechukwu fears that Atiku is poised to repeat a similar mistake within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), given his considerable financial resources, often referred to as his “war chest.” He highlighted that no other ADC presidential aspirant possesses the same financial capacity.
He recalled that the rotation convention was consciously formalized in 1999 as an elite consensus. Its primary goals were to foster unity, equity, inclusion, and national stability by ensuring a turn-by-turn rotation of presidential power between the North and the South.
Okechukwu reminded Atiku that his own emergence as Vice President in 1999 was a direct result of this rotation convention. He posited that without the adherence to zoning by patriotic northern political leaders, figures like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo might not have contested the presidency.
He also referenced Atiku’s dramatic walkout from the 2024 PDP National Convention. At that time, Atiku protested that it was the North’s turn to produce the President, arguing that then-President Goodluck Jonathan was violating the rotation convention, an action that eventually led Atiku to join the APC.
While acknowledging that his own party, the APC, has internal challenges, Okechukwu finds it calamitous that Atiku Abubakar, widely seen as the architect of the PDP’s rotation breach and its subsequent destabilization, is allegedly orchestrating a similar violation within the ADC. He questions whether President Tinubu should now be blamed for this potential fresh violation of the zoning principle.
Okechukwu further addressed Atiku’s assertion that the systematic weakening of opposition platforms poses a grave danger to Nigeria’s democratic future. He contends that this statement requires more rigorous self-scrutiny and contextual honesty from Atiku himself.
He posited that Atiku cannot successfully leverage former President Buhari’s vote bank in the North. Okechukwu believes that the majority in the North subscribe to the rotation convention and also perceive Atiku as “Mai Kasuwa” (a reference to his business dealings) and among Nigeria’s less transparent figures, rather than “Mai Gasakiya” (one who is truthful and upright).
This analysis of Atiku’s “Kasuwa Ndollar” primary election and its potential impact on Nigerian democracy highlights the ongoing debates surrounding political conventions and leadership in the country.
