I predicted Nigerians would be victims of Buhari-APC ‘one-chance’ Bus – Abati

The former presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati (SAN) recalls his warning to Nigerians to avoid President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) and they remained adamant.

In his latest article ‘Buhari: Between yesterday and tomorrow’, Abati said he was sure Buhari was driving a “One Chance” bus, and trying to lure unsuspecting Nigerians to certain despair.

“I wrote an article shortly after the postponement of the 2015 Presidential elections”, he said. “The piece, titled ‘Buhari’s One Chance Campaign’ never got published. One of my colleagues to whom I showed it advised against its publication. His point was that we should remain professional and not get involved in partisan politics”, he disclosed.

In the excerpts, Abati noted that Buhari was unelectable in 2003, 2007, 2011, and he was even far more unelectable in 2015.

“In his previous failed attempts, he was at least his own candidate, but this time, he is at best some other people’s Special Purpose Vehicle; that is why he comes across more in this campaign like a mannequin under the control of seen and unseen masters with hidden agenda”, he wrote.

“Nobody should seek the Presidency of Nigeria as an SPV. I argue that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, apparently the owner of the APC, wants a Buhari Presidency because he imagines it will transform him, not Professor Yemi Osinbajo, not anyone else, into the most influential political figure in Yorubaland.

“The “treacherous” Rotimi Amaechi is busy dancing up and down because for him, a Buhari Presidency will enable him settle scores, with his imaginary enemies. “Festus Odimegwu, who was booted out as Chairman of the National Population Commission for making racist comments about Nigerians of Northern extraction wrote a Buhari endorsement article recently, it was actually a masked revenge piece.

“They will all be disappointed. And if General Buhari wants to be President, he needs to come across as his own man. “President Jonathan is his own man. All the self-proclaimed, would-have-been Godfathers to his presidency have on their own committed political suicide. He is tested, healthy, strong, focused and committed.

“He has campaigned on the basis of his record of achievements and the phenomenally positive transformation that Nigeria has witnessed under his watch in the past four years: the revived railways sector, the strengthened education sector, greater emphasis on youth, women empowerment and inclusive governance, a robust, economy, massive job creation, expansion of the space for human freedoms, and a purposeful, engaging campaign for a second term.

“In comparison, all I see on the Buhari side, is a lot of mean tactics, hate-driven propaganda, shallow costuming, third-party outsourcing of leadership, and manifold deception. Their attraction is that of a “One Chance” bus, not concrete vision, not change or progress, not leadership.”