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By Charles Chukwuedo

What a day it was on May 28,2022, PDP held their special convention and presidential primaries.

I congratulate PDP for a well organised convention. Kudos. If only they did same when they were in government. Politics apart, it’s important to give credit to whom it is due. PDP sold Nigeria well to the world with a well organised and transparent convention. It is vital that we recognise and commend good things. No one will blow our own trumpet better than ourselves. Some are quick to amplify negative developments about Nigeria.

It’s only fair that we amplify  positive developments as well.

Governor Nyesom Wike lost to Atiku in the field. A number of factors were  responsible for Atiku’s victory. For starters, Atiku like Rotimi Amaechi and Bola Tinubu, like or hate these men, they have one thing going for them: they have goodwill in abundance. Goodwill matters in Nigerian politics.

Atiku has contributed to human development over the years. He continues to harvest the seeds he sowed. To my mind, Atiku’s war chest going into this presidential primaries is not as healthy as it was in the 2019 PDP presidential primaries . Despite the shrunk resources, beneficiaries of Atiku’s goodwill rallied round him. They supported him and  pumped in resources this time around.

Talking about resources, the presidential aspirant that could match Atiku is Governor Wike. He had too much money to play with. The too much money was  his undoing. Money is like a spirit. Respect a man who has money in abundance and manages to keep a cool head.

Over the years, I have seen the inability to handle and to manage excessive money destroy people. I have seen folks who become  ghosts of their former selves  when they were bathing in money. They are no longer the humble chaps that you used to know. Humility is key in everything we do. A man who is not humble will run into difficulties. This is captured in the book of Proverbs; 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom”.

Governor Wike is in the good books of APC attack dogs because he spews blarney. He appeals to those who practice gutter style politics. To many of the  political elite he’s considered a political liability. Wike managed to hoodwink political neophytes and they fell prey to his antics. He gained momentum with this class of electorate. He was liked by these lot. He is no doubt one to be  reckoned  with in PDP because of his financial muscle.

A chief financier of PDP, Wike employed his popularity very well, threw himself into the presidential race contest. Wike was a serious contender. As the presidential convention drew nearer he lost momentum. His popularity base shrunk. Wike allowed fame and money to take over him. He could not handle it. Humility is not in Wike’s lexicon. He spoke to his political cohorts without qualms . He bullied  party leaders. He presented himself as a emperor of sorts .Some people questioned his mental health.

When Wike was going round consulting, he hardly showed tacit, tolerance and wisdom; humility was not part of him. Someone who wants something, a favour from delegates, the choice of language and manner of approach and appeal for their votes is important. Wike in his consultation round did not appeal to delegates. He was ordering delegates to give him the PDP ticket. Wike must do a rethink and learn to manage people and also learn to be humble. You set yourself up for failure when you’re not humble. In fact ,politics and humility go pari pasu.

The last minute step down of Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State for Atiku in the field, swung the outcome in favour of Atiku. Atiku defeated Wike by 134 votes. When I extrapolated the likely winner, Tambuwal was not a top contender. I envisaged he would get about 80 votes or there about. Tambuwal’s factor is a huge factor in Atiku’s win.

There are two legs to what I refer to as the ‘Tambuwal Coup’ of May 28, 2022. The first leg of it is this; the well-orchestrated coup goes to show that political outcomes will be tested by political democratic processes and not via sentiment inputs. How many still remember the South South communique issued by Nigerian Southern governors in Lagos? For those who may have forgotten, let me jog their memory.

The Southern governors resolved in one of their meetings that the next president of Nigeria should emerge from the Southern Region. Some of us did not support that position, we saw this as an undemocratic process. We knew that the idea will not fly. Some of the governors that put pen to paper to sign that communique were visible in the field working against the same position they took. I do not have any issue with the Southern governors, the point I make is this; allow democratic political process play itself out, like what happened on the PDP convention ground.

It is dangerous for our democracy when political pressure groups or civil society groups want to determine what happens in a political party. It’s wrong and goes against democratic ideals. The same way that it is completely wrong for the likes of so called socio-political groups to issue threats that power must go to a particular region. People can run their mouth all they like, what plays out in the field is different. So far as democratic process has been followed, that  is what matters.

The second leg of the coup is this; some of us from the South must come down from this pseudo high horse mentality.

We look down on our our Northern brethren as illiterates, yet  the same so-called illiterates continue to teach us political lessons. The Tambuwal coup demonstrated that the North will always come together when it matters the most. This is their style of politics. I’ll give it to them. That said, it is my considered opinion that the move made by Bukola Saraki and Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state, when they hurriedly put up the Niger State consensus endorsement scheme by the purported Generals came to haunt Saraki and Bala on the convention day. It was a  decision obviously in favour of Atiku.

Tambuwal was originally part of the scheme to attend the Niger State consensus presidential aspirant endorsement move. He pulled out at the last minute. Atiku was locked out of the process. Tambuwal was not happy with what Saraki and Bala Mohammed did, so Tambuwal decided to take his own pound of flesh in the field yesterday. Nigerian politicians don’t forgive easily. Tambuwal calculated that the contest is between Atiku and Wike, he was smart, he weighed it, he tucked his pride into his pocket, rightfully so, pitched tent with his brother Atiku, and the North had their day in the field.

Social platform keyboard warriors who play their politics in their bedroom, make the most noise, should learn from what happened on the convention day. Politics is not played on the back of sentiments. Politics is not played on a mantra like “it is our turn”. You have to strategise how you get power. Political reality has hit Wike. A lesson for all that money alone will not make you cross the line. River state is known to be blessed with sophisticated.

Rivers State is known to be endowed with sophisticated governors. Listen to Rotimi Amaechi speak, the manner in which he carries himself, everything about him is presidential. He sells Rivers state in the process. Wike is a different man who believes that his bullying style is the best. I can’t preach it enough;leaders must value relationship, respect people, be humble at all times. Despite Wike’s deep pocket he failed to clinch the PDP presidential ticket. All those he was ordering around , disrespected, believing that he had the ticket in his bag, how will he face up to them now. Politics and humility goes pari pasu.

*Chukwuedo,a lawyer, can be reached [email protected]