Stop using Atiku as election-year scapegoat, Timi Frank tells Obasanjo

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of repeatedly turning former Vice President Atiku Abubakar into an “election-year scapegoat” ahead of major political contests.

Mr Frank, who made the allegation in a statement issued on Saturday, said it was unfortunate that Mr Obasanjo had allegedly continued to blame Mr Atiku for perceived shortcomings of the administration they jointly served between 1999 and 2007.

He described the former president’s repeated criticisms of Mr Atiku as an “outdated blackmail pattern,” which he said had become predictable whenever another election cycle approached.

According to Mr Frank, Mr Obasanjo, as president and the holder of the highest constitutional authority during the period, should accept responsibility for both the achievements and failures of his administration rather than repeatedly portraying his former deputy as the architect of its problems.

He argued that Mr Atiku played a significant role in assembling technocrats and professionals who contributed to some of the major achievements recorded by the administration.

“Frank said it was shameful that Obasanjo, despite serving as President between 1999 and 2007, had allegedly continued to evade responsibility for the record of his administration while repeatedly dragging Atiku into the political mud whenever another election approached.”

He challenged Mr Obasanjo to take responsibility for controversial actions taken during his presidency, including military operations in Odi, Bayelsa State, and Zaki Biam in Benue State.

“If it is true that Atiku committed all of these things you have constantly accused him of, then we can conclude that you were a full accomplice as you presided over as President, because all the approving powers rested solely within your purview,” Mr Frank said.

The former APC spokesperson accused Mr Obasanjo of reviving allegations against Mr Atiku whenever elections draw near, describing the former president’s interventions as a recurring political ritual.

“It is now a home movie series where you remember Atiku every four years for the single fact of smearing and gaslighting your ex-VP whenever an election cycle is near,” he said.

Mr Frank said Nigerians were no longer interested in what he described as Mr Obasanjo’s “stale and outdated” rhetoric, urging the former president to offer fresh ideas rather than recycle allegations against his former deputy.

He further alleged that Mr Obasanjo had often positioned himself as a political “spoiler” whenever the country appeared to be approaching a possible change of government.

“It is your prerogative not to support Alhaji Atiku, which is constitutional, but using this blackmail tactic is stale and wouldn’t give your preferred candidate victory at the polls,” he said.

“We urge you to put a hold to this comedy skit every four years where you are being recruited as a spoiler for which you are known for since your days as military Head of State.”

Mr Frank said Mr Obasanjo should openly campaign for any candidate he intends to support ahead of the 2027 presidential election instead of directing repeated attacks at Mr Atiku.

“Sell your candidate if you have one at all and refrain from allowing yourself to be used before the issue of Atiku becomes a nightmare that may eventually consume you,” he said.

The former APC official also dismissed attempts, which he attributed to Mr Atiku’s critics, to portray the former vice president as a major obstacle to Nigeria’s progress.

He argued that Mr Atiku had been subjected to several investigations over the years without producing the outcomes his critics had repeatedly alleged.

Turning his criticism directly towards Mr Obasanjo, Mr Frank accused the former president of devoting considerable attention to Mr Atiku while allegedly failing to apply similar scrutiny to the current administration.

“Atiku isn’t the problem of Nigeria right now and we dare you to criticize the current government like the way you cry about Atiku,” he said.

Mr Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, accused Mr Obasanjo of repeatedly putting Mr Atiku on trial in the court of public opinion while allegedly refusing to address questions surrounding his own record in office.

“Obasanjo knows the truth that Atiku is eminently qualified and possesses the requisite capacity to lead Nigeria, but doing a hatchet job by criticising him has become a money-making business for the Owu Chief. Fortunately, Nigerians are fully aware of this, hence they ignore him,” he said.

Mr Frank also questioned the political influence of the former president, arguing that Mr Obasanjo’s endorsements had not always translated into electoral victories for candidates he supported.

“Your political value is whitewash and a ruse because any candidate you support has always been defeated at the polls, even in your state of Ogun,” he said.

He warned Mr Obasanjo against allowing his political disagreements with Mr Atiku to become a recurring public spectacle, adding that the former vice president had deliberately maintained his silence and refrained from responding personally to his former principal.

According to Mr Frank, Mr Atiku’s restraint demonstrated political maturity, although he claimed that the former vice president could disclose damaging information about Mr Obasanjo if he chose to respond publicly.

He urged the former president to conduct himself as an elder statesman and emulate what he described as the restraint shown by former military leaders, including Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Yakubu Gowon.

Mr Frank said Mr Obasanjo should recognise that political power ultimately rested with Nigerians and not with any individual political godfather.

“If it is destined for Atiku to become President, neither you nor anyone else can stop it,” he said.

He added, “Hopefully, by God’s grace, you will witness Atiku becoming President before you leave this earth.”