Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar stated at the book launch, “loyalist begets loyalist”.
Atiku said it was because of loyalism that he was forced into exile to escape several assassination attempts.
National Secretary of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, mocked the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that the number of governors defecting to the ruling party do not win election, but the people in a free and fair contest.
Atiku stated, ‘’For those of us who come from the military and paramilitary professions, loyalty is non-negotiable. There is no reservation only absolute obedience.
“But having joined political life over the last almost four decades, I have realised that loyalty in politics is not as rigid as it is in the military or paramilitary professions.”
Atiku said, ‘’I thank the organisers, the sponsors, and everyone who has brought us together for this moment of reflection. So I ask: why does this book matter to all of us?
“The Loyalist invites us to examine loyalty to country, community, institutions, and to our own moral compass vis-à-vis personal loyalty, especially in a time of rapid change and competing narratives.
“The book offers a principled lens for distinguishing truth from rhetoric. It challenges us to consider how loyalty can unite us in the service of a shared and just future.
‘’Many of us here—particularly Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, Abdullahi, and myself—have suffered because of loyalty. I have personally faced exile as a result of loyalty.
“I have survived assassination attempts as a result of loyalty. So, Bolaji, what you may have found through research is not unusual; it is part of the price many of us have paid.’’
The former vice president also stated, ‘’Loyalty should strengthen the common goal, not narrow the circle of belonging. It requires accountability, transparency, and the ability to listen and learn especially from those with whom we disagree.
“True loyalty embraces diversity of thought and protects the dignity of every citizen. As leaders and aspiring leaders, these are lessons we must bear in mind for leadership and public service.”
Aregbesola, who was once Minister of Interior, said, “I still want to say something more. Something is going on that is worrisome, especially for those of us who are democrats or aspire to be general democrats.
“The fact that certain governors are defecting to the APC shows that our unity (ADC leaders) is weakened. I laugh because recent statistics in Nigeria, based on the last election, do not support this belief.”
Aregbesola challenged the federal government to sincerely “commit to a free and fair electoral process. We will then see if it is true”.
He added, “The second point is a scenario where I want to use results from two zones just two zones to show that when a party controls a state, it may not necessarily translate to votes. I want to use the results from the South-west and South-east.
“In the South-west, the APC controlled all the states, except one. Despite this, the maximum performance of the party in that election was 55 per cent, with the other parties sharing the rest.
“The same applied in Lagos. The APC candidate lost his ward, local government, and state. So, please, for goodness’ sake, when it is claimed that governors win elections against the people’s will where? That is the South-west.
“In the South-east, the result is even more striking. The APC had only 5.8 per cent of the total vote from that zone. I’ll stop at that. The results of these two zones clearly show that governors do not win elections the people do.
“What we require from the government in charge of the election is a commitment to a free and fair process. So first, commit yourself to a free and fair election, and let us see what the result will be. That’s what we’re asking.”
National Chairman of ADC, Senator David Mark, described the author a straightforward per-son, saying, “Even when I disagreed with him, his advice was always adopted.”
Chuks Okocha
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