WHY ATIKU CANNOT BE AN ALTERNATIVE IN SPITE OF BUHARI's DISAPPOINTMENT - LET US TRY OTHERS AND FORCE A RE-RUN

Many of my friends who read my posts on the political state of our nation and the fourth coming election would think I am campaigning for Atiku and PDP with the way I write about Buhari and what they could have done differently - far from it. We have an opportunity to force a change that will produce a different president other than Buhari or Atiku on Feb 16, we need to take this chance and not wait for another 4 years of ruin under APC or PDP. Read to the end, and you will understand how.

Atiku would have easily defeated Buhari if he has integrity. With all the hypes around Atiku-PDP resurgence, there are proofs freely given to us beyond doubt by all Atiku's utterances during this electioneering process that he will not fair better if Nigerians make him the president. - Or how do you interpret the "I WILL ENRICH MY FRIENDS" statement by Atiku on national television?

We all know Atiku is complicit in a lot of corruption scandals and there are charges against him in the US courts. His last visit notwithstanding. The visit was brokered by a lobbying firm in DC he paid a large sum of money, who convinced some US lawmakers to write the State Department to give Atiku visa so that the US government would not appear to be partisan in a strategic partner's political process. The lobbyist argued that if Atiku win's Nigeria's election and he was denied a visa to the US and allow the opposition to continue to say that he could enter the US, it could be counterproductive for US-Nigeria relationship. Atiku still has cases in US courts, the evidence of this is public knowledge here - he was not arrested because of his position as the presidential candidate of the major opposition party in Nigeria. The US does not want to be seen as siding with one party - if this were the 1980s, US probably would arrest Atiku and not care - US has learned its lesson from failures that ensued from being partisan in allegedly overthrowing governments around the world and what this has produced. US foreign policies on this are measured. If Atiku loses on Feb 16, I dare him to return to the US if he would not be arrested and prosecuted.
We can read OBJ's book and what he said about Atiku. And not what OBJ said alone, how did Atiku come by trillions of naira in assets? I do not buy his bullcrap story that he started when he was young - his corruption profile can be traced back to his days at the Customs Services, he was more or less fired (this is where we have problem in Nigeria - Atiku should have been outrightly dismissed and lose his entitlement when he was found to be corrupt as the head of the Custom Services, instead, he was retired - here we are). He allegedly engaged in illegal practices by floating a company involved in Custom's business while still serving in the Customs, this is aside from the corruption that is endemic in the Nigerian Customs Services that any of their senior officials would find it difficult to separate themselves from - if you have cleared any goods at the Nigerian seaport, you have fallen victim of these people and no government in Nigeria has been able to do anything about this, including the current so called anti-corruption government.

During a town hall meeting a few weeks ago, I heard Atiku say he would enrich his friends, and in another interview, he said that he has no plans to pursue corrupt politicians - that it is a waste of time. Hmmmm. EXCUSE me, we accused you of being corrupt, and you are telling us that your policy will restore corrupt activities if you become the president - this is the more reason why Nigerians should shun Atiku on Feb 16. It will be stealing galore and we will go back to the days when people became billionaires overnight for doing nothing but being connected to the government of the day. They will come back to share what is left of our commonwealth.
I thought Peter Obi was a clean man until the town hall meeting with Atiku, where it was clear he too had given Anambra's state contracts worth billions of naira to his family's company. Some would see nothing wrong with this but it is another form of corruption. Nigerians, eh eh eh, we are playing with FIRE if Atiku and Obi are voted in. Looting we saw under GEJ will be a child's play.

My problem with Buhari is that he gave hope and he strangulated it by himself. His lack of readiness from day one compounded an already weak economy due to corruption, his recovery plans were ineffective, he is clouded by ethnic politics and this hampered his effectiveness, his dishonesty about the security state and lack of sense of responsibility is appalling, his failure at the corruption fight that is mostly lopsided, the fact that he is not mentally and physically sound gives concern, his denial of the problem within the current political structure in Nigeria and many more will just not make him work. If Buhari wins, Nigeria would only see a marginal growth as we have seen in the last four years, and then we will see Buhari's true color - he will unleash the soldier and complete Fulani in himself.

If 50% of Nigerians vote any of the opposing candidates aside from Atiku or Buhari, we will force a re-run and the opposition will be forced to form a coalition. Neither Buhari or Atiku could garner enough votes to become the president if over 50% of Nigerians vote other candidates. We have the chance to get it done this time than to wait another 4 years. If we miss this chance again, the rest of the world will be flying in rocket engine while we would still be riding a bicycle. Feb 16 is the day, go out and vote your conscience - our future as a nation and that of the posterity depends on it. Long live Nigeria!