Diplomats are trained in the use of words and body language for effective communication. They hardly raise their voice in a cacophony of confusion and that that affords them the opportunity to strike when others are unable to make any inroad.
Chief Adolphus Nduneweh Wabara is known to many as the Senate President who resigned in 2005 amid allegations of corruption. It took another ten years for the court to wash him clean of all charges which seemed to be more of politics than bribery.
Wabara is a career diplomat. His late wife, Felicia, was also one. Both met at the Nigeria High Commission, London. In 1984, Wabara’s job at the Nigerian Embassy, Chad was Head of Chancery. Major General Muhammadu Buhari was military Head of State.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was in the Customs. Wabara looked beyond tribe in choosing a wife. He went for an Edile, from the Esan part of what is now known as Edo. Atiku toed similar path. Love carried him to Yoruba land where Titi was waiting. Marriage beyond borders strengthens national unity.
These two men have one last opportunity to keep Nigeria strong and united. They are driving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Presidential Flagbearer and Chairman Board of Trustees (BOT) respectively. Events also blessed them with wisdom.
Atiku is bent on becoming president. He was Vice president for eight years, between 1999 and 2007. The PDP bible is not in favour of this presidential quest because there is a clause on rotation. After eight years of President Buhari, the next president should come from the South.
PDP has lost some good candidates because of this push to field a Northerner. The Labour Party leader, Peter Obi quit to realise his presidential ambitions elsewhere. Before him, Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi dumped the umbrella.
Now that Atiku has the PDP ticket, the party has become Oyingbo market. It is all bedlam. Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, stabbed by Rima Conspiracy, will not allow peace to reign. I have aptly crowned him the ‘Ogbaghara 1’.
Wabara was moved from BOT Secretary to Chairman in what looked like political Engineering to appease the South. Unfortunately, Wabara is not an Engineer. The good thing is that he is able to communicate with Mrs Atiku in Yoruba.
If Wabara does not tell Atiku the honourable truth, I will be surprised. Fate elevated him to that position for a reason. You can see, things happening around us point to the fact that Wabara has enough diplomacy to convince Atiku on why he should step aside.
Wabara studied International Relations in the former Soviet Union. Today the Kyiv State University is in Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine are at war. Rishi Sunak is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The import is that times have changed. Atiku should get that right.
Back home, Wabara was sacked as Pro Chancellor, Abia State University for supporting zoning. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, an Ngwa man, who is supporting Wike would love to hand over to another Ngwa man as his predecessor.
On March 20, 2022, Wabara said : “PDP will lose Abia if the 2023 governorship position is zoned to Ngwa.” That was how he ceased to be Chairman, Governing Council of Abia State University, which was relocated to Uturu, from Etiti by Gen. Ike Nwachukwu.
Wabara was inconsolable when his wife passed on last April. Ohambele, his hometown tells the story of the South – East. The former Senate President cried more when Chief Ikechi Emenike of the All Progressives Congress (APC) paid a condolence visit.
“It appears ndi Ukwa are not considered for relevance in Abia politics,” Wabara told his guest. That is exactly what he should tell PDP on the plight of the Igbo. Atiku and Iyorchia Ayu should be told the gospel truth because Mrs Wabara was a woman of peace.
Primate of Church of Nigeria, Henry Ndukuba preached ‘Lord Remember Me’ at Mrs Wabara’s funeral. Her husband must work towards eternal remembrance for the right reason. And one sure way of guaranteeing this is to look Atiku straight in the face and say, please retreat.
Wabara means son of a ghost. Atiku could be dining with a ghost. Some of us do not fear God as much as we do the dead. If the son of a ghost cannot pass on this withdrawal message, we may have to invite Senator Bob Nwannunu (son of a bird).
Birds carry messages across great oceans. Some can fly in the night, many sing dirges. In my part of the country, there is the one we all dread. Whenever it cries in the night, the message is that death is around the corner. Wabara should kill this PDP presidential contraception.
Nwachukwu (son of God), has Fulani blood like Atiku. I think the trio, Wabara (son of ghost), Nwannunu (son of bird) and Nwachukwu will do it. The PDP needs extraordinary powers to come back to reality.
Wabara is still in mourning but I must tell him that his Esan in- laws are fully Obedient. The best way to remove this garment of tears is to bury the Northern presidential project. The son of a ghost should not be afraid to become an undertaker.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Kaaynan’s editorial stance.
