When Agbani Darego won the Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria 2001, some girls and women said she was definitely not the most beautiful girl in Nigeria not even in Port Harcourt the capital of Rivers State, her state of origin. When she eventually competed at the Miss World Beauty Pageant 2001 and resoundly won by virtue of her exquisite African beauty and intelligence that she displayed during the question and answer segment of the pageant, she silenced naysayers. During the discourse about the credibility of her queenship, which I wrote about as a student journalist at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, I argued that in any contest, it is the contestants that buy the registration form and present themselves for the contest that would be scrutinized. The beautiful girls who did not register for the contest and present themselves before the contestant judges, have zero chances of winning. When Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar emerged as the winners of the two dominant parties in Nigeria I felt sorry for myself, Nigeria and Nigerians.

My emotions got the better of me and I almost wept. I felt even if I am highly unimpressed with the stewardship of Professor Pastor Yemi Osinbajo as Buhari’s vice president, he was to me a better candidate than his benefactor Tinubu. For Atiku, the difference between him and Peter Obi, who left the contest in PDP, is like a contest between the dark past and a bright future. At the end of both primaries in APC and PDP, it was like an art auction, where the highest bidder took the most valuable art. The fact that APC and PDP are the only parties with the structure on ground to convincingly win a presidential election made me conclude that here we go again, in the continuum of corruption, ethnic cleansing, kidnapping, and nationwide insecurity. Because Atiku is part of the PDP that consolidated corruption in Nigeria. He is also Fulani and has conflicts of interest in his ability to reverse the trend of insecurity in Nigeria. Tinubu on the other hand represents many of the attributes that makes Nigeria retrogressive. From his wife being a multiple termed serving Senator without merit, to his ownership of key assets in Lagos State allegedly corruptly. A close look at Tinubu’s mentees from Lai Mohammed to Babatunde Fashola who promised to fix power in six months you can easily come to a conclusion about Tinubu’s character. If you are still in doubt, the recent report that Lagos is the second worst livable city in the world should convince you of the transformative skills of Tinubu, who has been in charge of Lagos State since 1999 – twenty three years.

When Peter Obi left PDP I was concerned about the wisdom of his move. I told myself that APC and PDP are the only platforms that can presently produce a president in Nigeria. And that he is probably one of those individuals whose ambition is to be known as a presidential candidate. But every day the wisdom in his decision is becoming clearer. With his choice of vice president in Datti Baba Ahmed, it is becoming obvious that Peter Obi and his Obi-dients mean business especially as APC and PDP are like conjoined twins. In a contest where you have Peter Obi as an option, any Nigerian still rooting for Atiku or Tinubu does not mean well for Nigeria and Nigerians. And these supporters are either motivated by tribe, religion or personal gain, or a combination of all of them. No right thinking or objective Nigerian should ordinarily identify with Atiku or Tinubu if they want a new Nigeria where the message of our Coat of Arm – Unity And Faith, Peace And Progress is a reality from Sokoto to Uyo and from Lagos to Maiduguri. 

Ata Ukuta, Editor – Towncryyers