What would the president do?

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in this year’s General Election, Atiku Abubakar’s shadow boxing in the courts of the United States of America (USA) seeking to rubbish President Bola Tinubu’s academic records is proving to be the perfect example of living in a glass house and hurling boulders. It is an international embarrassment. But there is a strategy that most of those weighing in on the issue need to realize. Could it be that President Bola Tinubu played along, knowing he had nothing to fear?

President Tinubu’s academic records are now there in the public domain for all to peruse. This is the first of its kind in the annals of the country. Whoever it was that advised Atiku Abubakar needs to be flogged. The fool’s errand they sent him on has no strategy. It was more of an emotional drive, forgetting that playing politics at the highest level in the country requires strategy.

Atiku Abubakar is surrounded by people driven more by emotions than strategy, unless of course, they prefer to submit that they are driven more by the greed of feeding fat on Atiku’s naivety. What was the overarching objective of whipping up a storm about a certificate they knew existed in the first place? To cause an embarrassment or to change the course of history? I go with causing an embarrassment. And they succeeded. What is the way forward, and what has come out of the exercise? Unnecessary gossip and an astronomical invasion of the privacy of the President. On top of that is the manner in which they ridiculed Nigeria as a country ruled by a cheat when this was not the case.

Atiku Abubakar was deceived into believing he was a saint among sinners. He might be; who knows until his public service and educational records are given as much scrutiny as it deserves based on the precedence he has set. It might be a tsunami whose impact would be felt for generations.

So hopeless was Atiku’s fool’s errand that even the Obidients were wary of joining that branch of the post-election defeat fray. There is nothing to benefit in the eventuality. This is the reality. It was a waste of effort, time, and resources. They can laugh if they can, but only briefly, as there are interesting times ahead—times when leniency would be advocated. But I wonder if it would work. It would be a journey of taking as much pound of flesh as possible. I would be pleasantly surprised if the skeleton would be spared.

Some issues are better left than addressed. One of the 48 laws of power states, “Don’t offend the wrong person. Choose your opponents wisely.” In so doing, you would minimize your exposure. Did Atiku Abubakar go against this law? I think so. if you think otherwise, you might not be wrong; it would depend on the side of the bed you find yourself in. However, there is no guarantee that if you lay on the right side of the bed at night, you will wake up in the same spot. A lot would have happened over the course of the night.

President Bola Tinubu does not appear like one who is meek and strange to battles. He has his way of doing things. Loyalty is his watchword. He has stayed relevant after 16 years of holding public office, as governor of Lagos state, and became the President despite all odds. Some say he is arrogant. Some say he is bulldozing his way. And some say he is not someone you can take for granted.

Atiku Abubakar and his handlers did not take cognizance of these attributes before they went to war wearing only tin armour and with toys for weapons. Well, as humans, we are bound to make mistakes. But for Atiku, this is a very costly one. It is one mistake that would come with consequences. I may need to be corrected. But I am not convinced I am wrong.

Injured lions are like wounded predators on a quest for vengeance; their pain fuels their aggression. Was President Bola Tinubu hurt by the invasion of his privacy and the unwanted international attention that came with it? The answer is yes.

Let me guess his reaction: he would ignore and concentrate on governing the country. Do you agree or disagree? If you agree, you may be correct. If you disagree, you may also be correct. But I know that this is not the end of the drama that started in the United States of America.

Has Atiku Abubakar murdered sleep? Is he prepared for the long insomniac nights? Would he relocate to his “country home” in Dubai after fouling up his visiting status in Nigeria? Would he remain and fight till the end? Does he have the dexterity to sustain this tempo without getting consumed? These and many more are questions begging for answers.

The weeks and months ahead would be interesting; so interesting that it would make a bestseller. If I know Nigerian politics enough, I should know this will not slide. Am I pre-empting anything? The answer is no. I am only airing my opinion. Something tells me this battle might be too much for Atiku Abubakar. But who knows, he might have his plans. But whatever the case, Nigerians would be treated to an interesting movie.

It is a movie where there would be sorrow, tears, and blood, and the winner takes all. The winner can only be decided on the strength of who has the power and knows how to use the forces at his disposal. In Nigeria today, who has the powers? Maybe President Bola Tinubu, and maybe Atiku Abubakar.

Somehow, I love this game called politics. It is not for the faint-hearted. It is not for boys. It is for men. And interestingly, President Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar are men in their rights. George Orwell in Animal Farm said, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” I agree with him. But only time can tell in this circumstance. I want to emphasize again that those in glass houses should not throw stones.

Ocheja, a military historian and doctoral researcher, can be reached via [email protected]