El-Rufai's Marabout Anecdote and Atiku's Long Presidential Ambition

El-Rufai's memoir, *The Accidental Public Servant*, recounts an allegation that Atiku Abubakar was told by a trusted Cameroonian marabout that President Olusegun Obasanjo would not complete his first term. The prediction supposedly opened a path for Atiku to become president. The story brings to mind a Shakespearean tragedy, where a prophecy plants the seed of ambition and makes destiny feel inevitable. It offers one lens for viewing Atiku's long-running presidential ambition and his repeated attempts to reach the highest office. But democratic politics is decided by votes, coalitions, party structures and timing, not prophecy. Obasanjo completed his first term and won re-election, while Atiku's ambition endured through different elections, parties and alliances. Perhaps the prophecy suggested a destination but not a timetable. In politics, belief in personal destiny can be powerful, but voters make the final decision.

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