‘ATIKU wept’ has been trending on Twitter since Friday evening after photos of the former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku, wiping away tears at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat, flooded the social media.
Atiku was at the PDP secretariat to collect his presidential nomination form on Friday, accompanied by a multitude of praise singers and supporters. Speaking at the brief ceremony, the former VP could not hold back emotions as a tear or two escaped his eyelids.
Explaining why he became so emotional, Atiku said it was because “this is the only time in my political career that young men and women in this country have come together without my knowledge or even consent to contribute their own hard-earned money to buy me an expression of interest and nomination forms”.
Recall that Muhammadu Buhari, as the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 general election, had also broken down in tears, saying that that would be his last shot at the presidency.
But while Buhari’s tears in 2011 won him many supporters and sympathizers, leading to his eventual victory at the polls in 2015, Atiku’s tears on Friday earned him everything but sympathy.
“This is definitely another and latest format… And Atiku wept… The new criteria to get to Aso Rock,” tweeted Ezeikel Folahan.
Another tweeter user, Tosin Adeda, added, rather sarcastically: “Fellow Nigerians, Atiku wept today as he collected his presidential nomination form… He surely loves you, please vote for him.”
Aliyu Dahiru, another Tweeter user, connected Atiku’s tears to that of Buhari in 2011, saying that politicians had figured that Nigerians are easily emotionally swayed.
“Buhari taught politicians a very good way to manipulate Nigerians. Show the masses that you love them and betray them later,” he wrote.
“When Atiku Abubakar wept, he was imitating Buhari who deceived us. We thought Buhari was crying for us, we didn’t know that he was crying for the office.”
Here are other reactions:
The shortest verse in Nigeria political writ: “Atiku wept”
Atikulated tears ????. pic.twitter.com/TPyap8FOYK— THE ROYAL PSALMIST (@ayanfeofgod) August 31, 2018
Atiku Wept.
I laughed.
I laughed because of how people found the scene reminiscent of Buhari, who himself had openly wept over losing his penultimate bid to be the top citizen before finally winning the last time only to try to have us live 1984 all over again.
— Emeka… Ogadimma's child (@mekakema) September 1, 2018
PMB wept in 2011 and won in 2015. Atiku should have wept this tears in 2015 to win in 2019. The secret is 4 years gap. After this cry today he will contest in 2023 😀
— John Vershima Unum (@IamJohnUnum) August 31, 2018
In Acts of Atiku, Chapter 1 verse 1:
"Seeing the multitudes of Nigerians suffering and Atiku was moved with comapssion. He looked up and down, brought out his handkerchief, and lo and behold, ATIKU WEPT!!".
— Bankole Olawale (@bankeelo) September 1, 2018
Buhari wept, He won
Ortom wept, He won
Atiku wept, He..
Oh God ,are u thinking what am thinking pic.twitter.com/tzoRkxPOv2— Ezeh Israel kachi (@easybiz101) September 1, 2018