From Idu Jude Abuja
Dr Garus Gololo, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has criticized the perceived political merger of former presidential candidates from the main opposition parties, including Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and others, calling it a futile attempt.
Gololo’s comments come in response to recent news reports of Peter Obi’s visits to Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Sule Lamido, and others, which many interpreted as an attempt to form a political alliance to challenge the APC in the 2027 elections.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Daily Sun on Monday, Gololo argued that voting for these individuals, whether from the proposed merged party or the APC, would be detrimental to Nigeria’s future. He believes that the country has already suffered enough under the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who he claims has failed abysmally.
Gololo contends that Nigerians have endured economic hardship for the past 25 years under the leadership of the same old politicians in established parties. He believes that the 2027 elections should usher in a new era with a team of economic experts who can offer fresh perspectives and solutions.
He criticized the performance of both the current and previous administrations, stating: “I learned that he (Tinubu) is about to celebrate his first year in office. And what in your mind do you think every other Nigerian thinks? Can’t you see that this administration and the past have failed abysmally? Be it Buhari or Tinubu, whose administration is for family members with the price of a bag of rice costing 80,000 naira against 6,500 before APC took over leadership, be it Atiku who resides in Dubai but wishes to die trying to rule Nigeria. Be it Obi who is now moving around to form a merger, I know that I am speaking the minds of many Nigerians but our problem is how to execute it. And I can tell you that it just has to come through individual votes. Yes, Nigerians tested it last time but the victory went to Tinubu and that was because Nigerians remain so subservient to politicians. That is because politicians know that Nigerians are hungry. He knows that with a loaf of bread, one can change but what we are telling them now is that a better Nigeria tomorrow is better than a loaf of bread today.”
Gololo further expressed concerns about the desperation of Nigerian politicians to rule, arguing that their tendencies and insistence on leadership indicate a bleak future for the country. He stated: “I still maintain my stand on the fact that neither Atiku, Bukola Saraki, Obi, Tinubu, Lamido, and Bararawa has anything to offer us as leaders, and when I narrow my assessment on Atiku, it becomes clear that the man’s quest to become the president of this country is short of just rendering services to humanity. Those who work selflessly do not die while trying to render services and it is obvious that Atiku and others have shown crass ignorance of the qualities of typical world leaders. I believe rendering services comes with God’s blessings. But in Nigeria, politicians even offer gifts to voters and lobby. Some kill political opponents to clear ground for themselves. So this desperation in Atiku and others must stop and the only way to achieve this feat is to deny them popular votes come 2027 and look out for a new breed of Economists who have distinguished themselves in several areas of endeavours.”
Gololo commended the efforts of a coalition of aggrieved Nigerians, both at home and in the diaspora, who are working to rescue Nigeria from total collapse. He believes that this coalition is driven by the urgent need to save Nigeria from international embarrassment caused by economic woes, political instability, insecurity, policy inconsistencies, ethnicity, religious bigotry, and animosity associated with political affiliations.
He suggested that the new coalition should form a political party to address these issues, which he believes many have failed to do as promised during political campaigns. He stated: “I can tell you that neither APC under Tinubu can do such because uniting Nigerians and implementing a policy that gives equal rights to all Nigerians is not a joke.”
