The former customs officer though unknown to Many outside the political circle had been learning his trade immediately after he retired from service with the Nigerian customs and excise dept.
He was a progressive and protege of the late Shehu Musa Yaradua,the man credited with the most sophisticated political machinery in Nigerian history.Atiku was a devoted student and learnt every step of the way from his late mentor and later seized his opportunity with the untimely demise of his master in Abachas gulag
It was this same political machinery under the progressive banner with the help of MR FIX IT(Leader Tony Anenih)that swept a retired General Obasanjo from prison to power and the rest is history.
FALL FROM GRACE
Atiku and Obasanjo were strange bedfellows,but both had something in common,INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR POWER.Atiku achieved greatness(literally)and Obasanjo had greatness thrust upon him by Abdulsalami and IBB.
OBJ had to rely on Atiku's political machine in his first term in office but quickly learnt the ropes,a situation which gave Atiku a good leverage at that point to consolidate his grip on power and oil his political machinery with the privatisation process.But as time went by the Owu general positioned his cronies in the right places and took over the PDP to consolidate his power.Atiku meanwhile had the House of Reps wrapped around his fingers with Ghali Na'aba.
The proposed threat to impeach Obasanjo towards the end of his first term in office was suspected by some as an attempt by the former Vice President to cut the President to size,thereby making way for himself to succeed him.A sin the President never forgave.It is wellknown within the corridors of power that Obasanjo never forgives nor forgets any wrongdoing(ask Gbenga Daniel who was humiliated in public a few days after begging for forgiveness or Johnson Fasawe his erstwhile bestfriend who got a special invite from EFCC for dining with the enemy).
Atiku's public fallout with OBJ and his known but unproven financial indiscretion led to his current woes and late Umar Yardua's rise to the highest position in the land at his expense yet no one can begrudge him of pursuing his dream even if it smacked of desperation atimes .
He tried a comeback to actualise his dream when he got into bed with Alliance for Democracy(AD)in 2007 following his outster from PDP and subsequent defeat by the late Umaru Yardua a candidate imposed by Obasanjo on the nation.
The travails of the former Vice President continued when he was schemed out and outmanoeuvered by Goodluck Jonathan at the PDP Presidential Convention.
His nemesis Obasanjo is obviously still laughing but the nation is still waiting to see who laughs last