26/06/2025
THE BETRAYAL OF GOVERNOR UMAR FITIRI AND THE UNDYING FIRE OF ATIKU ABUBAKAR.
Aare Amerijoye Dotb
There is a story among the Fulani elders that when the hyena plots in the dark, it still trembles at the roar of the lion. Today, the echo of that tale rings loud across Nigeria's political landscape as the political establishment, riddled with saboteurs, pretenders, and cowards, continue to quake at the mere mention of one name, Atiku Abubakar, the indomitable Waziri of Adamawa, the Aare Adimula of Yoruba land, the Enyi Ndigbo of Nigeria, and the Dan Amanar Talakawa (Trusted Ally of the Masses) in Northern Nigeria.
Let’s not mince words, Fitiri betrayed.
It is a betrayal that bears the stains of ingratitude and the signature of cowardice. A man Atiku nurtured with the milk of trust, protected with his political spine, and resourced to the tune of over ₦2 billion to become governor in his first tenure, that man now tiptoes in the corridors of mischief, hoping to appease the very structure that’s terrified of Atiku’s political shadow.
Again, Atiku stood solidly behind him for his second term, shielding him from the coordinated onslaught of the ruling APC machinery, even when the APC governorship candidate was an unapologetic loyalist of Atiku. But in an ironic twist of treachery, it is this same man, crafted, lifted, defended, that now dabbles in shadows and mischief, attempting to appease political hawks at the expense of truth.
But ten thousand Fitiris cannot undo what Atiku Abubakar represents, in Adamawa, in Nigeria, and across the African continent. As Marcus Aurelius once wrote, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Atiku is not slowed by betrayal; he is sharpened by it.
Let it be known: The Waziri’s lamp cannot be extinguished by the wind of envy, nor can the sun of destiny be dimmed by the smoke of betrayal. "They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds." – Mexican Proverb. And Atiku Abubakar, long sown into the soil of Nigeria’s conscience, continues to sprout hope where others see only ruin.
The recent circular from the Adamawa State Department of Chieftaincy Affairs, dated June 19, 2025, is the latest play in a series of cowardly moves, hastily weaponised by APC propagandists to provoke cheap controversy. The directive merely outlines that Kingmakers and Council Members in Adamawa Emirate structures must come from specific LGAs, an internal administrative adjustment, not a referendum on Atiku’s indigeneship or legitimacy.
But of course, the hyenas of propaganda pounced. They misinterpreted, twisted, and celebrated what they hoped would be a dagger, forgetting that Atiku is not just a chieftain; he is a colossus walking with grace, a monument of honour in a field of shifting loyalties, and a national institution in human form.
Waziri or not, Atiku Abubakar remains the pride of Adamawa, the soul of Nigeria’s democratic quest, and the nightmare of those who loathe reform. His chieftaincy titles span far beyond the Adamawa plains:
Waziri of Adamawa
Giwa Adamawa
Sardaunan Ganye
Zanna Adamawa
Turakin Sokoto
Zege Mule U Tiv.
Aare Adimula of Yoruba Land
Aare of Ire-Ekiti (And what a blessing that I share that hallowed title with this iconic personality as Aare Atayese of Odo Oro Ekiti!)
Enyi Ndigbo of Nigeria (Friend of the Igbo Nation)
Onyisi Abia (The Pillar of Abia State)
Ochiagha Ndigbo (Warrior and Defender of the Igbo)
Ebubedike of Oru East
Omekannaya of Anambra (The One Who Acts Like a Son)
D**e Di Ora Nma of Enugu (The Warrior Loved by the People)
Dan Amanar Talakawa of the North (Trusted Ally of the People)
Kwararren Jagaban of Middle Belt (The Refined Leader of Unity)
Baban Gwamna of Niger (Father of Governance)
Ezedioramma of Owerri (King of Light among Men)
Asiwaju of the Delta (Pathfinder of the Delta People)
From Sokoto to Aba, from Ire-Ekiti to Onitsha, the royal cloth of recognition has wrapped him because Nigeria knows her own, and Atiku is beloved across tribes, tongues, and terrains.
His international recognition towers far beyond tribal boundaries, a global statesman, a respected reformist, and a committed democrat who still commands respect in foreign diplomatic circles and policy rooms from Washington to Dubai, from London to Nairobi.
But Atiku is not only titled; he is tested, tried, and triumphant.
He is one of the few Nigerians who have turned personal wealth into public good. His philanthropy is legendary. He didn’t just build schools, he built a world-class university, the American University of Nigeria (AUN), and gave it to the community, making education accessible to thousands. He funds hundreds of scholarships yearly for indigent students across Nigeria. He has built hospitals, funded free health outreaches, sponsored women empowerment schemes, provided agricultural tools for farmers, and micro-grants for small business owners.
He feeds families. He raises dreams. He gives hope. He restores faith. He renews lives.
Yet, despite every attempt to wreck him, politically, psychologically, socially, Atiku has remained unbowed, unbroken, and unyielding. This unyielding nature echoes Nelson Mandela’s words: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Atiku’s every rise is a lesson to those who underestimated him.
He has walked through the valley of betrayal, faced the furnace of blackmail, and stood firm against the storms of injustice. His coalition, a formidable front of tacticians, visionaries, strategists, and political draughtsmen across party lines, continues to swell. And make no mistake: they’re coming for the throne.
Atiku’s persistence scares them. His vast network no terrifies them. His popularity amongst the people, North and South, keeps them awake at night. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Atiku Abubakar is at the final threshold, where the fight intensifies because his victory looms.
Just recently, I had the rare privilege of sitting with a ruling party senator from Ondo State, a man swimming in APC waters but choking in his conscience. In an unguarded moment, perhaps unaware of my loyalty, he confessed to his constituents. In an off-record conversation, he admitted:
“Don’t mind the noise makers on social media. The most feared person by Tinubu’s government ahead of 2027 is Atiku. We all discuss him in Abuja with trepidation. If we fail to prepare, he and his coalition group will defeat us."
He never repeated that statement in my presence again. He knew. He knew that I was Atiku, not just in spirit, but in conviction, in loyalty, in action, in essence, in destiny.
And let it be shouted from the rooftops: I fear nothing. I fear no one. I know, as surely as dawn follows night, I am convinced, as millions are, that Atiku Abubakar is best positioned to become Nigeria’s next President in 2027. History has often shown us that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. – Martin Luther King Jr. And in 2027, justice may finally wear the face of Atiku Abubakar.
His critics scoff, but we know better: this movement is not a noise, it is a nation rebirthing itself, a phoenix rising from the ashes of corruption, betrayal, and economic desecration. Like the phoenix, as referenced in ancient mythology, Atiku rises stronger after every fire, proving that the forces meant to consume him only polish his purpose.
The APC and their scattered agents, including the few Judas Iscariots hiding in PDP, have made it their assignment to frustrate Atiku, to wear him out, to kill the hope he gives to millions. But like the oak tree, the more you strike, the deeper the roots grow.
Indeed, if the tide demands it, there is increasing talk of a possible adoption of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the grand coalition platform, not for ego, but for rescue. The objective remains clear: expel Tinubu from A*o Rock, return Nigeria to reason, and rekindle the flicker of justice, equity, and development.
And to the mischiefs who think that removing the Waziri title from Atiku will erase his history, I say, go learn from the sands of time. Mandela didn’t need a chieftaincy title. Gandhi held no throne. Awolowo had no scepter. What they had was conviction, and what Atiku has is a people who believe in him, a record that testifies for him, and a future that calls him. Like all great reformers, Atiku’s power lies not in titles, but in timeless impact. As Cicero said, “The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk.” Atiku walks with the humility of greatness and the conviction of destiny.
Only the crude-minded agents of mischief would twist a simple administrative circular into a political weapon, and even at that, their desperation still trembles at the shadow of Atiku.
He remains a giant in Adamawa: building schools, granting scholarships, empowering the youth, nurturing the elderly, developing communities, and expanding opportunities. The people love him because he never stopped loving them, even when betrayed.
Let the enemies gather, conspire, or manipulate: they shall stumble, they shall scatter, they shall fall.
And as this journey towards national rebirth continues, I leave us with Psalm 91, for our leader, Atiku Abubakar:
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.”
May the Almighty guard him with angelic legions, guide him with prophetic clarity, and grant him grace to rise, beyond betrayal, above bitterness, into the fullness of destiny.
This is not the end. This is the rise.
Let’s correct the mischiefs.
Aare Amerijoye DOT.B
Director General,
The Narrative Force
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