The Atiku-Obi opposition-less opposition to Tinubu’s administration, By Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf

The struggles of Nigeria’s three main political gladiators, Messrs Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are all about energy. In essence they aren’t dedicated to Nigeria as a nation, and Nigerians as a individuals. Neither are they involved about democracy – which is the event (enchancment) and humanisation of the political enviornment. Growth itself is the democratisation and humanisation of the financial enviornment.

The three gladiators are merely curious about grabbing energy. Their core enterprise is energy – not service to and for the individuals. This explains why 4 main points dominated the 2023 presidential elections.

First, all of them performed and elevated ethnicity, faith and regionalism to the very best pedestal. All employed money-minded and hypocritical clerics to marketing campaign for them. Secondly, they didn’t permit the peoples’ vote to depend, as they rejigged the 2023 presidential elections. Thirdly, of their respective strongholds, a few of their activists bodily molested political opponents and voters they suspected may not vote for them, and destroyed their properties. Fourthly, cash, blackmail, intimidation, harassment, threats, and insults have been what counted extra throughout the campaigns and elections.

The disagreements and quarrels of Atiku and Obi in 2023 was that Tinubu outsmarted them within the rigging match, adjudicated by the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC). Subsequently, concepts and points weren’t the determinants and, nonetheless don’t depend of their present politicking.

For the reason that Might 29, 2023 inauguration of Tinubu, illogical and anti-people insurance policies have been applied. These embrace petroleum subsidy elimination, devaluation and sinking of the Naira, and, improve in tariffs and taxation.

All these have led to hyperinflation, mass starvation, distress, deindustrialisation, mass unemployment, illiteracy, ravaging ailments and mass despair.

But, Atiku and Obi haven’t been capable of successfully problem Tinubu. They haven’t requested concrete questions on why our armed forces and safety haven’t been in a position to neutralise the bandits and terrorists kidnapping, terrorising, raping and killing individuals throughout our nation!

None of them has criticised the predatory pro-West, and significantly pro-French international coverage and practices of the Tinubu administration. Neither have they critically challenged – not simply criticised – the growing authoritarianism of the Tinubu administration.

Sure, Atiku and Obi lamented Tinubu’s withdrawal of gasoline subsidy. However they did it opportunistically and hypocritically. For Atiku: “The haphazard and disingenuous method of the present administration to gasoline subsidy administration has been the explanation we’re on this present financial disaster.”

For Obi: “What they (Tinubu administration) are saying is that petrol subsidy is gone. Electrical energy subsidy is gone. In reality, quickly they are going to take away the subsidy on air. If that they had the prospect, they’d cost us for air. We aren’t saying we is not going to try this. However inform us the place it’s going.” So, principally, they aren’t against the elimination of gasoline subsidy, they solely disagree on the model.

On the devaluation of the naira, Atiku mentioned: “Given Nigeria’s underlying financial situations, adopting a floating alternate can be an overkill. We have now inspired the Central Financial institution of Nigeria to undertake a gradualist method to FX administration. A managed floating system would have been a most popular choice.”

For Obi: “I’d have devalued the forex and nonetheless make sure that what is accessible is utilized by the actual sector”, including that: “You may’t float a forex you don’t provide in management. It’s like constructing a non-gated home in a crime-ridden society.” It was performed “haphazardly”, with out “a defence mechanism”, with none “satisfactory provide” of the greenback, and any examine on the “pressures and criminality in our FX regime.”

So, like Tinubu, Atiku and Obi are for devaluation. Their downside is the model of devaluating and floating the naira.

The triumvirate are all fanatical disciples and obedient servants of the witchcraft economism of the Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF) and World Financial institution (WB). In abstract, they’re all apostles of subsidy elimination – regardless of how essential it’s to human existence, Naira devaluation and privatisation which is an euphemism for the switch of our collective nationwide wealth to personal pockets.

For example, throughout the 2023 presidential election marketing campaign, Tinubu haughtily advised Nigerians: “Regardless of how lengthy you protest ooo, we’re going to take away subsidy (on petroleum merchandise); and that’s the fact! That’s the fact.” Obi arrogantly mentioned: “I can guarantee you that it (subsidy) will go instantly! Subsidy, I’ve mentioned it earlier than, is an organised crime. And I can’t permit it to remain a day longer.” Whereas Atiku deceptively mentioned subsidy elimination: “is inevitable; that it’ll occur” however “by negotiations once more with the organised labour and different sectors of the economic system.”

The three males are for the cost of hunger salaries and pension; the infinite pricing of commodities and companies out of the attain of the plenty and, the pulverisation of the mass of the individuals.

Equally, they’re all for the glorification of the non-public sector; the shirking of the position of the state within the economic system; the continual weakening of state capability; and in opposition to regulating the insatiable urge for food of the non-public sector to cheat the plenty and our nation.

Our three ‘gladiators’ are, due to this fact, anti-development and anti-democracy. None of them is an adherent or a disciple of Chapter Two of the 1999 Structure of Nigeria, which is the “Basic Aims and Directive Ideas of State Coverage”.

The Chapter categorically states that Nigerian State shall: “be based mostly on the rules of democracy and social justice”. It insists that the political sphere have to be developed and humanized as a result of: “sovereignty belongs to the individuals of Nigeria from whom authorities by this Structure derives all its powers and authority”. It additionally directs that: “the participation by the individuals of their authorities shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Structure.”

It equally directs that Nigeria’s financial sphere have to be democratised and humanised. It states, for example, that: “the safety and welfare of the individuals shall be the first function of presidency”. Secondly, that Nigeria’s sources shall be harnessed, nationwide prosperity promoted and an environment friendly, dynamic and self- reliant economic system, pursued.

Chapter Two additionally directs authorities to pursue: “a deliberate and balanced financial improvement”; assure: “that the fabric sources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as greatest as attainable to serve the widespread good; and guarantee: “that the financial system will not be operated in such a fashion as to allow the focus of wealth or the technique of manufacturing and alternate within the fingers of few people or of a gaggle.

It additional directs that: “appropriate and satisfactory shelter, appropriate and satisfactory meals, affordable nationwide minimal dwelling wage, outdated age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick advantages and welfare of the disabled are supplied for all residents.”

Atiku and Obi, as adherents of IMF and WB neoliberalism, can’t present any critical and efficient opposition to Tinubu, who’s extra dedicated and fanatically devoted to IMF and WB neoliberalism. That activity of patriotic and humanistic opposition belongs to forces dedicated to emancipatory politics that are situated within the labour, youth, {and professional} motion, and society at massive.

Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf labored as deputy director, Cupboard Affairs Workplace, The Presidency, and retired as Basic Supervisor (Administration), Nigerian Meteorological Company, (NiMet). Electronic mail: aaramatuyusuf@yahoo.com