Lifestyle

Why Atiku Abubakar Cannot Succeed Obasanjo

Published

1 year ago

August 23, 2025

The Sunday Magazine – Political Desk Feature

As Nigeria moved closer to the 2007 general elections, political attention was heavily focused on the complex relationship between President Olusegun Obasanjo and his Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. A front-page headline from The Sunday Magazine captured the debate succinctly: “Why Atiku Abubakar Cannot Succeed Obasanjo.” The article reflected the prevailing political tensions, intra-party struggles, and the battle for succession within the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Background: The Obasanjo-Atiku Partnership

Atiku Abubakar, a seasoned politician and businessman from Adamawa State, rose to national prominence in the late 1990s. As Obasanjo’s running mate, he played a critical role in the PDP’s victory in the 1999 and 2003 elections. Initially, their partnership seemed mutually beneficial: Obasanjo brought national appeal as a former military Head of State, while Atiku commanded grassroots loyalty, particularly in the North, and maintained extensive political networks.

However, by the second term of the administration, their alliance had begun to fracture. Ideological differences, conflicting ambitions, and control over the PDP machinery became flashpoints. By 2005, tensions had escalated to the point where open rivalry was undeniable.

The Third Term Agenda and Its Fallout

One of the central issues straining their relationship was the alleged “Third Term Agenda.” Reports suggested that Obasanjo and his loyalists were exploring a constitutional amendment that would allow him to remain in power beyond 2007. Atiku was among those who resisted this move, positioning himself as a defender of democratic succession.

This resistance came at a political cost. Obasanjo’s allies within the PDP began sidelining Atiku, undermining his access to party structures. The Sunday Magazine article emphasized that this political rift significantly reduced Atiku’s chances of emerging as Obasanjo’s chosen successor.

The PDP Machinery and Atiku’s Challenge

The PDP, as Nigeria’s dominant political party at the time, was the main platform for electoral success. However, its control rested in the hands of the President and the party’s National Executive Committee. The magazine noted that the “National Chairman of the All Peoples Liberation Party (APLP)” even weighed in, observing that without Obasanjo’s blessing, Atiku’s path to the presidency through the PDP was nearly impossible.

The article highlighted how Obasanjo, through influence over party primaries, campaign funding, and state apparatus, could effectively block Atiku’s candidacy. Internal suspensions, corruption allegations, and orchestrated media attacks further weakened the Vice President’s standing.

The Road to 2007 and Atiku’s Dilemma

As the 2007 elections approached, Atiku faced mounting obstacles. His strained relationship with Obasanjo, the loss of influence within the PDP, and the possibility of disqualification due to corruption probes all combined to erode his political prospects.

The Sunday Magazine analysis argued that even though Atiku commanded significant grassroots support and had loyalists across the North, these factors alone were insufficient to overcome the machinery of the ruling establishment. The conclusion was clear: Obasanjo was unlikely to hand over power to his Vice President, and without Obasanjo’s endorsement, Atiku’s chances of succeeding him were slim.

Legacy of the Rift

History later confirmed much of this analysis. Atiku eventually defected from the PDP and joined the Action Congress (AC), under which he contested the 2007 presidential election. He finished third, behind Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (the PDP candidate) and Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Obasanjo, true to predictions, had instead endorsed Yar’Adua as his successor, ensuring Atiku was sidelined.

This episode marked a turning point in Nigerian politics, exposing the fragility of alliances built on convenience rather than trust. It also showcased the dominance of incumbency and party machinery in shaping succession.

The Sunday Magazine headline, “Why Atiku Abubakar Cannot Succeed Obasanjo,” was not mere speculation—it reflected the political reality of the time. Despite Atiku’s popularity and ambition, the combination of Obasanjo’s resistance, PDP’s internal structures, and lingering corruption allegations ultimately blocked his path. The struggle between the two men remains one of the defining stories of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, underlining the often bitter and personal nature of political succession in the country.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 855

Lifestyle

🔥 A HARD QUESTION FOR CHRISTIAN WIVES: WHY DO YOU RESPECT YOUR PASTOR MORE THAN YOUR HUSBAND?

Published

14 hours ago

August 29, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Some wives can stand before their pastor with a gentle voice, a respectful attitude, and complete attention. They will never speak to their pastor the way they speak to their husband at home.

But when they get home, the respect disappears.

Is that really the kind of Christian character God wants?

Before you get angry with this question, examine yourself.

📖 Ephesians 5:33 (KJV) says:

“…and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

The Bible does not tell a wife to reverence her pastor while treating her husband with contempt.

But let us also be fair: God did not command husbands to demand respect while refusing to love their wives.

📖 Ephesians 5:25 (KJV):

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”

Marriage is not a competition between husband and pastor.

Your pastor may preach to you, counsel you, and pray for you—but your husband is the person you chose to build a life with.

If you can speak politely to your pastor, why can’t you speak politely to your husband?

If you can listen patiently to your pastor, why can’t you listen patiently to your husband?

If you can honor your pastor publicly, why must your husband receive disrespect privately?

And husbands, this message is for you too:

You cannot demand the respect you refuse to give.

📖 1 Peter 3:7 (KJV):

“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife…”

A Christian home should not be a place where one person demands submission while the other refuses to show love.

Respect should go both ways. Love should go both ways. Honor should go both ways.

📖 1 Corinthians 16:14 (KJV):

“Let all your things be done with charity.”

🔥 THE REAL QUESTION IS THIS:

If your pastor saw the way you speak to your husband at home, would he recognize the same Christian character you display in church?

👇 BE HONEST:

Do you think some Christians give their pastor more respect than they give their spouse?

YES or NO? Tell us why in the comments.

And if this message challenged you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 24

Lifestyle

WHEN MAJOR DECISIONS ARE KEPT HIDDEN, THE FOUNDATION OF A MARRIAGE BEGINS TO CRUMBLE

Published

15 hours ago

August 29, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Marriage is built on trust, honesty, communication, and unity. When one spouse begins making major decisions in secret—especially decisions involving money, family, relationships, property, or the future of the home—the damage can go deeper than the decision itself. Secrecy creates suspicion, suspicion weakens trust, and when trust disappears, the foundation of the marriage begins to crumble.

The Bible says:

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”
— Ephesians 4:25 (KJV)

Husband and wife are no longer two separate people living independent lives; they have become one. Therefore, major decisions that affect the family should not be hidden from one another. Transparency is not weakness—it is a sign of respect and commitment.

The Bible declares:

“And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.”
— Mark 10:8 (KJV)

If a decision will affect your spouse, your children, your finances, your home, or your future, your spouse deserves to know. A marriage cannot remain strong when one person knows the truth while the other is deliberately kept in the dark.

Scripture also teaches:

“The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”
— Proverbs 14:15 (KJV)

Wisdom requires communication before action. Before making major decisions, husband and wife should sit down, talk honestly, listen to each other, pray together, and seek understanding. A decision made secretly may appear successful for a moment, but the consequences of broken trust can remain for years.

The Bible says:

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
— Amos 3:3 (KJV)

Agreement does not mean that husband and wife will always have the same opinion. It means they are willing to communicate, consider each other’s concerns, and work toward a common direction.

A marriage should not be a place where secrets are protected at the expense of trust. Privacy has its place, but deliberate secrecy about major matters can become destructive. If something is important enough to change the direction of the family, it is important enough to be discussed.

Remember:

A marriage does not usually collapse because of one big decision. Sometimes it begins to crumble through repeated secrecy, hidden actions, broken promises, and the gradual destruction of trust.

Therefore, husbands and wives should choose truth over deception, communication over silence, unity over selfishness, and wisdom over impulsive decisions.

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.”
— Ecclesiastes 4:9 (KJV)

If you want your marriage to remain strong, do not make your spouse a stranger to decisions that shape the life you are supposed to build together. Talk. Listen. Pray. Be honest. Build trust before the cracks become too deep to repair.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 13

Lifestyle

WHAT YOU DO IN SECRET CAN SHOUT IN PUBLIC

Published

21 hours ago

August 29, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Many people are careful about what they do when others are watching, but character is revealed by what a person does when nobody is watching. You may hide your actions from people, but nothing is hidden from God.

The Bible says:

“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.”
— Luke 12:2 (KJV)

What you think is safely hidden today may become tomorrow’s testimony. Secret lies, secret corruption, secret betrayal, secret immorality, and secret wickedness may remain unknown to people for a while, but they do not remain hidden forever.

Numbers 32:23 warns:

“Be sure your sin will find you out.”
— Numbers 32:23 (KJV)

Therefore, do not live two different lives—one before people and another behind closed doors. Do not build a public reputation while secretly destroying your character.

Jesus also said:

“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.”
— Matthew 10:26 (KJV)

The best protection against public shame is private integrity. Do what is right even when nobody can see you. Speak the truth when lying would benefit you. Be faithful when nobody is checking. Refuse what is wrong even when you know you could get away with it.

God sees what people cannot see:

“For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.”
— Job 34:21 (KJV)

Remember, reputation is what people know about you, but character is who you really are when the doors are closed.

If you have something in your secret life that you would be ashamed for the whole world to discover, do not wait until it is exposed. Correct it now. Turn away from wrongdoing and choose righteousness.

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
— Proverbs 28:13 (KJV)

What you do in secret can eventually shout in public. Therefore, live in such a way that your private life will not contradict your public image. Let your character be clean when nobody is watching, so you will have nothing to fear when everything is brought to light.

Live right. Be honest. Keep your heart clean. What is hidden from people is never hidden from God.

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Post Views: 24