Atiku Abubakar’s Contribution to Democracy and Development: A study in Vision, Dedication and Tenacity, By Usman Bugaje

(Delivered at the 2024 Atiku’s Week of Service; held on 3/12/2024 in Jada, Adamawa State, Nigeria)

A Synopsis

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership” – H.S. Firestone

A proper assessment of the contributions of Atiku Abubakar should start with the struggle to return democracy to Nigeria in the mid and late nineties. It was a fierce and risky venture that required a lot of courage and selflessness. The losses were many and the trauma was deep. This may not be the occasion to explain the details, but I do hope that this has been done or will be done. This documentation is important not only for the records, but also that those coming generations can be inspired and given, what Prof Abdullahi Smith describes as ‘a glimpse of things worth fighting for’. It is also important that we don’t take this democracy for granted. Those who woke up to see democracy should be reminded that some people worked for it; to put it better, some people put their lives online to achieve it. As Warren Buffet would say’ “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

Coming to the contributions of Atiku Abubakar to democracy and development and considering the constraints of time, I intend to pick just a dozen areas where I can offer personal testimonies to give an idea of the contributions he has made over the last quarter century. I am not being exhaustive, far from it, I am only restricting myself to those areas I have personal knowledge of and can vividly remember. If I should take five minutes on each I would have taken one hour to deliver on the topic.

1. Lasting Transition – this may be contentious, but we need to be mindful of the dynamics. The transition to civil rule in 1979 lasted only about four years as it became terminated in 1983. The transition to civil rule in 1999 has lasted some 25 years so far. It is important to ask why the first collapsed early and this has endured for longer. Political scientists and analysts need to find out the factors that contribute to the lasting of civil democratic rule. My take is that the conduct of the leaders of the democratic transition and their methods of consolidating democracy must have a lot to do with this. In 1999 Atiku Abubakar was the key politician in the presidency, as his Special adviser on political affairs I recall how he took special interest in making it last and the many meetings and programs designed to achieve this. There were a lot of innovations and as Steve Jobs would say, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
2. Uniting the North – When Atiku Abubakar came as the Vice President  in 1999, he was by virtue of the office the highest political office holder in the country from the North. He took stock of the state of Northern leadership and there was division and fractionalization. He set up a committee under the leadership of the late Maitama Sule to go round and reconcile and unite the North. That was what led to the creation of the Arewa Consultative Forum ACF, into which all groups melted into one body. Not many today know that ACF was the vision and Creation of Atiku Abubakar.
3. Healing  and Repositioning the North – when he emerged as the highest political officer holder in the North there were grumblings, especially with some of the personnel changes he initiated. He decided to sit with a cross-section of all stakeholders in the North in a big unprecedented event in Kaduna, called ‘Reception 2000’. Here engaged the North, its religious scholars, its academics, business leaders, women and youth. It was robust engagement with no restrictions and protocol, which left the North informed and involved in ways unprecedented. This was the beginning series of programs to re-position the North, especially the revival of its industries and the creation of jobs.
4. Educating the North – NEP – Arewa House – Atiku Abubakar had (still has) a special interest in Education and he found education in  the North in shambles. Recruitment figures were very low, transitions very poor, the quality of products shabby. There were no manuals for the inspectorate divisions of many State ministries of education. He financed from his pockets a series of programs and activities under the Northern Education Program at Arewa House, where an annual Education summit was held to put States on their toes to meet set targets. The data available showed a doubling of enrollment in many states and the rise in the quality of teachers and their products. How I wished that NEP continued.
5. Accomplishing Lingering Projects – Cameroon Boundary Litigation – in 1999 the Obasanjo Government met a lingering case of boundary litigation with our neighbor Cameroon. Many thought it was about Bakassi. It was not. It was much deeper and more dangerous. As the chair of the Nigerian Boundary Commission he re-jigged the commission, changed the direction and within about two years the matter was resolved in our favor saving us a huge amount of losses as a nation.
6. Curbing Corruption – Party Funding – EFCC – it may surprise many to know that Atiku Abubakar was from day one worried about how politicians loot treasury creating a culture of corruption in our politics. So he was from day one working on ways to organize party funding without the looting of the treasury. It was tough for him as a politician of that generation but he brought significant improvements. He later turned his attention to curbing corruption and led the process of crafting the EFCC law and went the extra mile to ensure that those to man it have the requisite probity and courage to undertake the assignment.
7. Leading Reforms and Building Institutions – Police Reform – Atiku Abubakar was concerned about the dismal performance of the Nigeria Police and worked hard for its reform. Some of the details are still confidential but I can say for sure that he was not the one who brought Tafa Balogun.
8. Building Alliances and Bridges Across the Country – Atiku Abubakar was often called the busiest Vice President, rightly so. He crisscrossed this country making alliances and building bridges. He appointed two special assistants (political) working under my supervision to follow up on the several meetings he was having nearly every week of the year. It paid off in many ways.
9. Diligence and Discipline – Hajj Ops – working under him was a lot easier since once he gives you assignment he does not interfere nor allow family members of close associates to interfere. The most coveted Hajj Operations which I supervise in his office was a clear testimony. Today, it is difficult to come across the standard he kept in government.
10. Tolerant of Dissent and Opinions – some of us from the academic background found working with him very fulfilling as he was ready to tolerate dissent and listen to and accommodate other opinions. There were times when we disagreed and I dissented but we have always found our way back to work with respect and dignity.
11. Ready to Learn – Reads a lot – NDP – Atiku Abubakar was ever willing to learn, he reads a lot and is comfortable among academics and experts. We created a forum for internal policy dialogue where experts sit with him with no protocols and brainstorm on national issues. The NDP has very significant assignments which formed critical inputs to government policies.
12. Engagement and Management of Meetings – because of his readings and readiness to achieve set goals he has developed  a temperament to engage in political discourse and to pursue. Many who did not like him changed their minds after meeting and listening to him. His management meetings are highly productive. A meeting that usually lasts five hours Atiku Abubakar would finish in two hours with much better results. This productivity has meant clearer government policies and decisions.

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This is not to suggest that Atiku Abubakar is perfect, no he is not and nobody is. But it is essentially to concede to him what he is and what he has contributed or is still contributing to the democracy and development in our great country. He is able to do this among other many reasons, because he has a Vision, a Courage of Conviction, Dedication to Duty and Tenacity. History will recognize his contributions and we pray that God rewards him for the indefatigable efforts to fix this great country. Amin.