By Emmanuel Ebimoh
In any game or battle, there comes a time when the need for physical strength becomes secondary, when it becomes a battle of wits and skill, when it boils down to strategy. Yes, strategy. As they say in life, the strongest doesn’t always win the battle, and the fastest might get outsmarted. Most often than not, at such times, the only vital ingredient that comes to play is strategy – that is, who has the best strategy to win?
Let’s bring this ideology into the ongoing contest for the position of the highest office in next month’s general elections.
The past 24 hours have been filled with mixed feelings especially in the Nigerian political stream as pictures and videos of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, People’s Democratic Party presidential candidate arriving the United States of America flooded the internet. After 12 years of ban from the U.S, the ‘Eagle’, as he is fondly called by his supporters, defied the taunts and slurs thrown at him by the main opposition party and gained himself a strong ground going into the elections next month. So, the question is, how will his sudden entry into the U.S support his course for victory in the coming presidential elections? Why are his supporters celebrating this new feat?
Let’s take a look at how the scenario started. In 2006, during Atiku Abubakar’s stint as Vice President, the US government made some investigations and found Atiku guilty of corrupt practices. In a later report by the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in 2010, Atiku, with the help of his fourth wife, Jennifer Abubakar, was alleged to have transferred over $40 million in suspect funds from 2000 to 2008 through wire transfers sent by offshore corporations into U.S accounts.
Of the $40 million in suspect funds, $25 million was wire transferred by offshore corporations into more than 30 U.S. bank accounts opened by Ms. Jennifer, primarily by Guernsey Trust Company Nigeria Ltd., LetsGo Ltd. Inc., and Sima Holding Ltd. As each bank began to question the offshore wire transfers, Ms. Jennifer indicated that all of the funds came from her husband and professed little familiarity with the offshore corporations actually sending her money.
In addition, two of the offshore corporations wire transferred about $14 million over five years to American University in Washington, D.C., to pay for consulting services related to the development of a Nigerian university founded by Atiku Abubakar.
Prior to this report, the U.S government had written the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in June 2006 requesting that Atiku, alongside twenty-two other Nigerians be investigated in connection with corruption, fraud, and money laundering allegations. As a result, the EFCC, under the leadership of Nuhu Ribadu, investigated Atiku Abubakar and issued a report which found that he had used his influence over Nigeria’s Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to disburse money from the Fund to promote business ventures for himself and his friends, and that he had engaged in fraudulent conversion of funds, corrupt practices, and money laundering.
Subsequently, Atiku Abubakar’s mansion in the US was searched by the US Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and his fourth wife, Jennifer was arrested and detained. During that period, for reasons believed to be unconnected to the allegations, perhaps for fear of being arrested, Atiku Abubakar refused to travel to the US. He later sold his mansion at Potomac, Maryland, United States.
For 12 years after his stint as Vice President in 2007, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar did not step foot on the ground of the United States. With the ambition to become president of Nigeria, and after continuous taunting by opposition party on his inability to travel to the U.S for fear of being arrested, Atiku Abubakar landed in the U.S yesterday, 17th January, amidst celebrations from his supporters.
So far, the All Progressive Congress (APC), which is arguably the only competitive hurdle for Atiku and his party, have had their main campaign against Atiku on his supposed indictment by the US. They have argued that Atiku, having been found guilty of corrupt charges, faces a possible arrest if he decides to travel to the States. However, it is important to note that because of diplomatic terms, the United States cannot arrest a candidate contesting for the presidential position in another country. This political immunity gives Atiku access to the States as long as he has been granted visa. Apparently, Atiku gained some grounds in the battle when the US granted him visa in December 2018.
Looking at the character reference of Atiku, one may still have to look at the whole scenario critically before deciding on whose side to follow. In the book ‘My Watch’; Volume 2, page 32, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who worked closely with Atiku Abubakar had this to say about the man Atiku:
“What I did not know, which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgements, his belief and reliance in marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety, truth and national interest for self and selfish interest.”
Going by this disheartening description of character by his former boss, could it be that Atiku had lobbied his way with money into getting a visa to the US, having strategized that it would give him a major leap to winning the hearts of the people? Could it be that, just as Obasanjo had said in his book, his readiness to sacrifice national interest for self and self-interest is the main reason why Atiku has decided to pull this deft stunt, barely one month to the elections?
Well, no doubt the race for the presidency is not a battle of physical strength, but of careful manipulated strategy. The APC and the PDP have both displayed wits and skill in their campaigns. But who will eventually outsmart the other in this closely contested race for the highest seat in the land? Only time will tell.
