Dayo Sobowale, a Political Analyst, criticized the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, for his critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policies. Sobowale pointed out that Atiku is behaving like an alternative President, even though he did not secure victory in the election.
Sobowale emphasized that in a Presidential System, the winner of the election takes charge for four years without room for an alternative or assistant President.
He highlighted the significance of the winner-takes-all principle, where the elected President has the authority and responsibility to lead the nation based on their manifesto and campaign promises.
The Political Analyst noted that Atiku’s comments carry a different weight due to his previous presidential candidacy. Sobowale argued that Atiku’s position implies a form of alternative leadership, challenging the established winner of the election.
He stressed the importance of allowing the elected President a clear mandate to govern during their term. Sobowale stressed the essence of settling the competition during elections and respecting the mandate given to the winner.
He said that Atiku’s behaviour deviates from the standard practice in a Presidential System and questioned the appropriateness of acting as an alternative President after losing the election.
Hear him: “Atiku is in a position to say what he has said. If it has been said by civil rights group, or if it were to be said by you or me, well everybody knows what it is; it will be taken as it is, that it is somewhat a reflection of what is on the ground.
But being Atiku saying it, and the context in which he is saying it poses a different sort of situation and a need for a different sort of appraisal; he lost the election, and in a Presidential System, let’s get this very clear, it’s a winner takes all situation for four years.
You do the election — you win the election as President in an executive presidency, you take over for four years; the box stops on your table;
there’s no room in the Presidential System, for assistant or what do you — alternative President, or President in waiting, it’s only at election time the competition is settled, and whoever wins should be given a clear coast to run based on his manifesto.
The renewed hope agenda is not a stranger to all of us, even Atiku knows it by heart, but you see Atiku is behaving like an alternative President; he is not an alternative President.”