Last weekend’s systematic political corruption witnessed in the Edo State gubernatorial election established one fact that the opposition In Nigeria led by the trio of Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Kwankwaso (AOK) must learn to bond and integrate as a people of common purpose or perish and remain a perpetual adversary. After 2023 and the offcircle elections in Imo, Kogi, and Edo states, it would be delusional for the opposition to still think that Bola Tinubu is an accident that just happened and will soon fizzle out. There is no visible alternative road to a new Nigeria of our dreams unless and until politicians moderate their ambition for the sake of the country and democracy and coalesce.
American author and political activist, Helen Keller reminds the opposition that “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” The only time we can see farther is when we learn on the shoulder of a giant or of each other. AOK in English phraseology means a more intensive word for OK, that is to be in a good order or condition.
But for this conversation, it stands as initials for Atiku, Obi, and Kwankwaso, the three gladiators that are very familiar in our recent political trajectory. The trio were the front-runner Presidential candidates of the major political parties in the 2023 polls. Their electoral performance in 2023 according to the INEC were in this order, Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP came second with 6,984, 520 about 29% of the votes cast, Obi.