Posted by By Ibrahim Audu on
THERE is no doubt that the Nigerian print media have reaped a windfall on account of the feud between President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Atiku Abubakar.
THERE is no doubt that the Nigerian print media have reaped a windfall on account of the feud between President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Atiku Abubakar. Headlines about the feud have been selling newspapers like hot cake. But in this frenzy to exacerbate the differences between the two gladiators, some subtle matters sometimes get buried. But I think that it is important for us to understand what the real differences between these two men are so that Nigerians will make informed decisions about their future. It is particularly important that Nigerians know a bit more about the Vice President since they have not had the opportunity to know him as much as they know Obasanjo. This is especially so because they may be called upon to evaluate him alongside other candidates for the nation's top job in 2007. I, for one, would like to know the man better.
One such instance of a subtlety getting buried is a report in one of the daily newspapers on the Vice President Atiku Abubakar's response to questions at the 45th Independence Anniversary Lecture. The report claimed that the Vice President, in supporting the policy of deregulation of the downstream sector of oil industry, reversed himself on what he said in his speech at TheWeek's Award recently. This is a disappointing interpretation of TheWeek statement. When the VP said that the anti-fuel price hike matchers need a good leader to listen to them he was stating a fact, the obvious. He was elucidating the qualities of good leadership which includes, in his view, the ability to listen to the led. The rallies organized by labour and civil society organizations against the hike in the prices of fuel was an apt and timely example. There is no doubt that the announcement by General Obasanjo that there would be no more increases until the end of 2006 is a direct response to those rallies. Of course the President is worried because he is not sure of what labour and civil society groups will do next.
When he made that statement, Atiku did not exclude himself from the leadership of this country. In fact, he is the number two leader of the country. To him the ability to listen to those protesting government policy is a core quality of good leadership. He never said that a good leader would necessarily agree with those who protest government policy. But listen to them the leader must because they are important stakeholders just as the business moguls who have easy access to the centres of power and get billions in subsidies in the form of import waivers and so on. So Atiku did not reverse himself. He indeed chairs the National Privatisation Council which oversees the deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry, although Aso Rock insiders say he is being sidelined when it comes to big decisions regarding privatisation, deregulation and prices and the timing of these.
Atiku has never waffled when it comes to support for the core policies of this government. In fact, he is probably the main architect of many of those policies and is reported to be the one who actually brought most of the economic team members into government. And in speech after speech he has been one of the most forceful defenders of those policies. Those who are close to him say he believes in most of them and would rather that they are faithfully and quickly implemented so that the country can move on to other matters of critical importance. In fact, it was Atiku's defence of those policies that made many people to distrust him in the past.
But if you look at his antecedents, you will agree with me that Obasanjo is a late-comer to economic reform. Remember his criticisms of Babangida's SAP and of Abacha? He was a believer in big government and government ownership of businesses. In the 1970s, he set up many government businesses and nationalized many private ones. Of course, Atiku has largely been sidelined while the reform policies have become bastardized. He is not responsible for the half-hearted implementation of those policies; he is not responsible for the selective implementation of those policies; he is not responsible for the policies being treated as though they are a religion whereby citizens are no longer allowed any input. He is not a member of the arrogant and intolerant core of Obasanjo's kitchen cabinet. But his loyalty to the government would not allow him to let Nigerians know that he is not in the loop.
I am not in Aso Rock, so I cannot claim to know what goes on there except what is leaked to the public or what one can discern from the body language of those occupants of Aso Rock. The little I know though tells me that the real difference between Obasanjo and Atiku lies in their style and personality. Atiku strikes me as somebody who would listen to people, exchange ideas with them, possibly disagree with them, but without insulting them in the process. He strikes me as somebody who does not believe he knows everything there is to know and who would, therefore, ask questions and take advice. I see him as somebody who would genuinely negotiate with others, seek compromises and forge consensus so that, as much as possible, everybody will be carried along.
He also strikes me as somebody who really understands the pains that Nigerians are going through and who would genuinely sympathize and reassure them. Atiku also strikes me as a very generous and forgiving man. I often read reports of him praising Obasanjo in his public engagements, despite the obvious pain he has been going through in trying to work with the man. But I do not remember the last time the President said any nice word about his deputy.
As for President Obasanjo, well, Nigerians know him well now and not from guesswork or from what others say about him. His style may be said to be the exact opposite of Atiku's. He knows all and makes it clear to all around him that he does not need to learn anything about Nigeria, about leadership, about power and about anybody. I only wish he truly knows everything. What worries me the most about Obasanjo is that he is not pretending to know all and to be the best. He truly believes that he knows all and that he is the best that this country can offer. He really believes that he is the only one who can develop this country and hold it together. And he believes that this is all God's plan. In short, he is a true believer; and true believers often pose a danger to others and even to themselves.