Politics
Betrayal of the Brave: How Atiku and the Opposition Squandered Nigeria’s Best Hope
Betrayal of the Brave: How Atiku and the Opposition Squandered Nigeria’s Best Hope
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Sahara Weekly Nigeria
In the political theatre of Nigeria, money often dictates the tempo. It has become a nation where competence is sidelined, loyalty is mocked and those without deep pockets those who cannot be labelled ‘money bags’ are cast aside like political orphans. Nowhere has this arrogance of wealth-based politics been more evident than in the disastrous handling of the 2023 elections by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under Atiku Abubakar’s leadership.
I have always believed that in a truly democratic society, those who stand on principle, not profit, deserve a seat at the table. But in Atiku’s PDP, merit was crushed under the weight of ambition, internal betrayal and unchecked ego. The party, once seen as the custodian of national unity, threw away its best chance to reclaim relevance when it arrogantly turned its back on the G-5 Governors, the last vestige of integrity and strategic strength within its rank.
Today, Nigeria is stuck with a recycled presidency, while the opposition is licking self-inflicted wounds. And it didn’t have to be this way.
The Tragedy of Political Myopia
Let’s not mince words: PDP and Labour Party lost the 2023 presidential election long before ballots were cast. They lost it the moment they sacrificed political wisdom for narrow ambition. The G-5 Governors; Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Seyi Makinde stood as a formidable block that could have altered Nigeria’s electoral map. These were not disgruntled men; they were governors with proven electoral machinery, influence and regional balance.
But Atiku Abubakar, obsessed with returning to power after four failed attempts, saw them not as allies, but as obstacles to his ambition. He refused to meet their single, reasonable demand: that the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, step down in line with the party’s zoning principle. With the party’s presidential candidate and chairman both from the North, the South was justifiably outraged. The G-5 called for balance and equity. Atiku responded with indifference.
As Wike thundered in 2022: “You cannot have the presidential candidate and national chairman from the same region. Where is the justice? Where is the fairness? This party belongs to all of us.”
His concerns were ignored. The consequences were devastating.
A Fragmented Front, A Failed Mission
In the 2023 election, PDP failed to win any of the G-5-controlled states convincingly. In fact, many of them went to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or saw strong showings by the Labour Party. Rivers, a traditional PDP stronghold, swung in favour of Bola Tinubu after Wike’s subtle endorsement. Makinde, in Oyo, resisted the Atiku tide. Benue, Enugu and Abia offered lukewarm support at best.
Atiku, who paraded himself as a national unifier, ironically presided over the most divided opposition coalition in recent Nigerian history. His insistence on centralizing power, his refusal to negotiate with his party’s powerbrokers and his dismissive attitude towards the Southern bloc ensured one thing: defeat.
And it wasn’t just PDP that failed.
Labour Party’s Strategic Blindness
While the PDP was burning bridges, the Labour Party missed an opportunity to build them. Peter Obi inspired a movement, yes but his campaign failed to embrace realpolitik. He could have engaged the G-5 Governors, formed strategic alliances and turned their PDP discontent into a national coalition for change. Instead, the LP ran a messianic, solo campaign that underestimated the importance of political structure.
Political commentator Jide Ojo noted in The Guardian: “Obi had the moral momentum, but he lacked institutional support. In Nigeria, no amount of popularity can replace structure, alliances and statewide networks.”
The LP dismissed the old order but forgot that winning elections in Nigeria still depends on who controls polling units, local governments and election-day logistics. The G-5 had that power. But no meaningful bridge was built.
A Nation Betrayed by Its Leaders
The bigger tragedy is that Nigeria is now saddled with an administration it barely voted for. Bola Tinubu won with just 36.6% of the total vote, the lowest in Nigeria’s history. That means nearly two-thirds of voters rejected him. But because the opposition was fractured, the majority voice was wasted.
This was not a triumph of strategy; it was a triumph of opposition failure.
The PDP could have formed a united front, with a Southern candidate and a Northern vice-presidential balance. The LP could have merged platforms, given Obi the grassroots engine he desperately needed. The G-5 could have anchored both with credibility and regional leverage. But ego, not patriotism, led the charge.
Atiku, who sees himself as Nigeria’s Mandela, betrayed the very principles that Mandela lived by; humility, reconciliation and inclusion. Mandela once said: “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.” Atiku, unfortunately, was not ready to sacrifice anything not even an ill-advised power configuration for party unity or national interest.
Political Godfatherism and the Marginalization of Merit
It is an open secret that Nigeria’s political class thrives on godfatherism. Merit, vision and sincerity are often sacrificed at the altar of loyalty and money. Those who cannot “mobilize funds” are sidelined. Those who speak truth are branded rebels. The G-5 Governors, particularly Wike and Ortom, were victims of this toxic system.
Ortom, who repeatedly called out Buhari’s handling of Fulani herdsmen attacks, was labeled controversial. Wike, who financed the party during its opposition years, was treated as expendable. These were not angels, but they were patriots in their own right, bold enough to speak and act when others trembled.
2027: Another Miscalculation?
As we look to 2027, the signs are already troubling. Atiku is reportedly interested in running again. If he is allowed to hijack the PDP once more, expect another round of defections, internal crises and disunity. The “money bags” may again dominate, while the voices of equity, inclusion and regional justice are suppressed.
If the opposition does not learn from 2023, it will lose again and this time, the consequences could be permanent.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama once warned: “You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. That’s insanity.”
If Atiku returns as PDP’s candidate, if the G-5 are not reintegrated, if LP fails to build real alliances, then Nigerians might as well prepare for an APC victory in 2027.
Final Thought: Restore the Soul of the Opposition
The future of democracy in Nigeria depends not just on removing bad governance, but on building a credible opposition. That opposition must include everyone; wealthy and poor, old and young, Northern and Southern leaders. The marginalization of those without deep pockets must end. The betrayal of loyal party members must stop. And the arrogance of Atiku-style imposition must be condemned.
PDP and Labour Party have lost their way, but all hope is not lost. Reconciliation is still possible. Unity is still achievable. But it will take courage, humility and a willingness to listen to those who stood firm when others fled.
Until then, the G-5 governors will remain a symbol not of rebellion, but of what Nigeria’s opposition could have been: principled, united and victorious.
Primate ELIJAH AYODELE: The Seer, And the Country That Listens
By Femi Oyewale
Ejigbo, Lagos — When Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele steps onto the pulpit of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church each week, he does more than preach: he convenes a national conversation. For decades, the clergy has issued blunt, often headline-grabbing prophecies about presidents, markets, and disasters — pronouncements that are dutifully copied, debated, and digested across Nigerian newsrooms, social media, and political corridors.
Primate Ayodele is best known for two things: the regular release of New Year’s and seasonal “warnings to the nation,” and a large, loyal following that amplifies those warnings into national discourse. He publishes annual prophecy booklets, holds prayer mountain conventions where journalists are invited, and maintains active social media channels that spread his messages quickly beyond his church gates. In July 2025, he launched a compendium of his prophecies titled “Warnings to the Nations,” an event covered by national outlets, which Ayodele used to restate concerns about security, governance, and international affairs.
Ayodele’s prophecies have touched on lightning-rod topics: election outcomes, the health or fate of public figures, infrastructure failures, and international crises. Nigerian and regional press have repeatedly published lists of his “fulfilled” predictions — from political upsets to tragic accidents — and his followers point to these as proof of his accuracy. Media roundups in recent years credited him with dozens of prophecies he argued had been realised in 2023 and 2024, and his annual prophetic rollouts continue to attract wide attention.
Impact beyond prediction: politics, policy, and public mood
The practical effect of Ayodele’s ministry is not limited to whether a prophecy comes to pass. In Nigeria’s politicised and religiously engaged public sphere, a prominent seer can:
• Move conversations in electoral seasons; politicians, commentators, and voters listen when he names likely winners or warns about risks to candidates, and his claims sometimes become part of campaign narratives.
• Shape popular expectations — warnings about economic hardship, insecurity, ty or public health influence how congregations and communities prepare and react.
• Exert soft pressure on leaders — high-profile admonitions directed at governors or ministers often prompt responses from the accused or their allies, creating a feedback loop between pulpit pronouncements and political actors.
Philanthropy and institution building
Ayodele’s public profile extends into philanthropy and church development. He runs INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church from Oke-Afa, Lagos, and his ministry periodically organises humanitarian outreach, scholarships, and hospital visits — activities he frames as evidence that prophetic ministry must be accompanied by concrete acts of charity. Church events such as extended “17-day appreciation” outreaches and scholarship programmes have been widely reported and help cement his appeal among congregants who value spiritual counsel paired with material support.
What makes him unique
Several features set Ayodele apart from other public religious figures in Nigeria:
1. Productivity and documentation. He releases extensive, numbered lists of prophecies and compiles them into booklets — a tactic that makes his predictions easy to track (and for supporters to tally as “fulfilled”).
2. A blend of national and international focus. His pronouncements frequently move beyond parochial concerns to name international actors and events, which broadens his media footprint.
3. Media-savvy presentation. From staged press events to active social accounts, Ayodele understands how to turn a prophecy into a viral story that will be picked up by blogs, newspapers, and TV.
The public verdict: faith, influence, and skepticism
To millions of Nigerians — and to his core following — Primate Ayodele remains a pastor-prophet whose warnings must be taken seriously. To others, he is a media personality whose relevance depends as much on spectacle and circulatory power as on supernatural insight. What is indisputable is his role in magnifying the religious dimension of national life: when he speaks, politicians, congregants, and newsrooms listen. That attention, in turn, helps determine which social and political questions become urgent in public debate.
Looking ahead
As Nigeria heads into another cycle of elections and economic challenges, Ayodele’s annual pronouncements will almost certainly return to the front pages. Whether they are read as sober warnings, political interventions, or performative theology, they will continue to shape conversations about destiny, leadership, and the kinds of risks a deeply religious nation believes it must prepare for.
Politics
BABATUNDE OLAOGUN STORMS LAUTECH; GIFTS DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WORKABLE TOOLS
BABATUNDE OLAOGUN STORMS LAUTECH; GIFTS DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WORKABLE TOOLS
In a remarkable display of commitment to academic excellence and community development, Hon. Babatunde Olaogun, a distinguished alumnus of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), has gifted the Department of Business Administration with state-of-the-art workable tools such as stationery items which includes several reams of A4 papers, detachable whiteboards. permanent markers, temporary markers among others things.
Olaogun also added that as part of his commitment to ensuring that students of the department enjoys first class academic infrastructure, a contemporary projector facility would be delivered to the department in no distant time courtesy of his humble self to further enhance ease during presentation of seminar and projects.
The donation ceremony was graced by eminent personalities at the department, including Prof. (Mrs) Ojokuku, Prof. Adegoroye and Dr. (Mrs.) Akanbi who warmly received Mr. Olaogun. The trio of the reverred academics thanked Mr. Olaogun for his commitment to good causes and urged him to continue doing even more good for the university, Ogbomoso in particular, Oyo State and the entire nation at large.
In their goodwill message, Prof. Ojokuku and Prof. Adegoroye also counseled Mr. Olaogun to stay focused and not be swayed by naysayers who may seek to tarnish his reputation. They further encouraged him to carry along, students of Public Administration from LAUTECH, with a view to a availing them practical skills and knowledge essential for their success in their future endeavors.
The Department of Business Administration is thrilled to receive this donation and looks forward to leveraging these tools to improve academic outcomes and produce highly skilled graduates.
Mr. Olaogun’s gesture is a shining example of the university’s alumni community’s commitment to supporting and nurturing the next generation of leaders.
OGUN VISIONARIES CONGRATULATE SENATOR YAYI ON BIRTHDAY.
A socio political group Ogun Visionaries For Yayi, has felicitated with her principal and Senator representing Ogun West at the red chamber, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi) as he celebrates his birthday.
Solomon Yayi has been described as an illustrious Ogun Son, who is ever committed to the reformation of Ogun State and Nigeria.
According to the statement by the State Director General Hon. Odunjo issued on behalf of the group thanked Senator Yayi, for his outstanding transformation of the entire Ogun West and the State in general, his people oriented law making and contributions to the development of Ogun West , the State and Nigeria in general.
The group described Senator Yayi as a thorough bred politician, an epitome of humility, a game changer and lover of the people, while urging him to sustain his contributions to humanity.
The Visionaries for Senator Yayi noted that the Senator has brought his political experience to bear on the various constituency projects spread across the state.
The Socio Political group also lauded the technocrat-turned politician for his charming and urbane disposition to the discharge of his responsibility as a law maker representing Ogun West and as Chairman, Senate Committee on appropriation.
“Senator, Chief Solomon Olamilekan Adeola has continued to blaze the trail by providing and offering leadership at various levels of governance, the maverick Senator has continued to serve his people well without relenting”.
“He has continued to provide sound and relevant legislation at different times and we thank you for always being there for us”.
Over the years, you have carved a niche for yourself by dint of hard work and discipline, maintaining a charismatic and unblemished leadership style that has endeared you to many Ogun West residents, entire State and Nigerians in general”.
“You have exhibited absolute leadership traits of a man committed to doing things differently as it is in developed and organised climes”.
“On behalf of all of us in Visionaries for Senator Yayi, we congratulate you Our dear leader, brother and friend, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola on the occasion of your 56th birth anniversary”.
“In the past 56 years, your family and indeed, your political and associates and admirers have caused to be grateful to Almighty God for having granted you a life of great accomplishments and abiding fulfillment”.
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