Atiku Abubakar Recounts Exile, Assassination Attempts, Emphasizes Loyalty's Price

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asserted that "loyalist begets loyalist," linking his own experiences of exile and facing multiple assassination attempts to his unwavering loyalty.

Meanwhile, Rauf Aregbesola, the National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has critiqued the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that the defection of governors to the party does not guarantee electoral victory, as elections are ultimately decided by the populace through free and fair contests.

Atiku Abubakar, addressing the audience, remarked on the nature of loyalty, noting, "For those of us who come from the military and paramilitary professions, loyalty is non-negotiable. There is no reservation only absolute obedience.

However, having been involved in politics for nearly four decades, I have come to understand that loyalty in the political arena is not as rigid as it is in the military or paramilitary."

He further expressed gratitude to the event organizers, sponsors, and attendees, posing the question, "So I ask: why does this book matter to all of us?

The Loyalist prompts us to scrutinize loyalty – to our nation, communities, institutions, and our personal moral compass – particularly in an era of rapid transformation and conflicting narratives. It provides a principled framework for distinguishing genuine information from mere rhetoric.

The book challenges us to contemplate how loyalty can foster unity in pursuit of a shared and equitable future. As the former vice president stated, "Many of us here—particularly Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, Abdullahi, and myself—have suffered because of loyalty. I have personally faced exile as a result of loyalty.

I have survived assassination attempts as a result of loyalty. So, Bolaji, what you may have found through research is not unusual; it is part of the price many of us have paid."

Abubakar also emphasized that loyalty ought to strengthen collective objectives rather than restrict inclusivity. He added, "It necessitates accountability, transparency, and the capacity to listen and learn, especially from those with differing views.

Genuine loyalty values diverse perspectives and upholds the dignity of every individual. These are crucial lessons for leaders and aspiring leaders in public service."

Aregbesola, who previously served as the Minister of Interior, voiced his concerns, stating, "I still want to say something more. Something is going on that is worrisome, especially for those of us who are democrats or aspire to be general democrats.

"The fact that certain governors are defecting to the APC shows that our unity (ADC leaders) is weakened. I laugh because recent statistics in Nigeria, based on the last election, do not support this belief."

Aregbesola urged the federal government to demonstrate a sincere commitment to a transparent and equitable electoral process, stating, "We will then see if it is true."

He elaborated by presenting election data from two geopolitical zones to illustrate his point: "The second point is a scenario where I want to use results from two zones just two zones to show that when a party controls a state, it may not necessarily translate to votes. I want to use the results from the South-west and South-east.

"In the South-west, the APC controlled all the states, except one. Despite this, the maximum performance of the party in that election was 55 per cent, with the other parties sharing the rest.

"The same applied in Lagos. The APC candidate lost his ward, local government, and state. So, please, for goodness’ sake, when it is claimed that governors win elections against the people’s will where? That is the South-west.

"In the South-east, the result is even more striking. The APC had only 5.8 per cent of the total vote from that zone. I’ll stop at that. The results of these two zones clearly show that governors do not win elections the people do.

"What we require from the government in charge of the election is a commitment to a free and fair process. So first, commit yourself to a free and fair election, and let us see what the result will be. That’s what we’re asking."

Senator David Mark, the National Chairman of the ADC, commended the book's author, describing him as a person of integrity, noting, "Even when I disagreed with him, his advice was always adopted."