Was there some truth in that fake campaign poster?

Poor Okonjo-Iweala!

She was probably minding her business in some cluttered office in the United States when some mischievous fella splashed her campaign poster across the Internet.

In the campaign poster (above), the former coordinating Minister of the Nigerian economy was assigned the role of running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Everyone who's been around long enough, knows that Atiku's number one ambition in life is to become Nigeria's President. He'll give an arm and leg to see his dream of governing Africa's most populous country become reality.

ALSO READ: Ex-VP will become Nigeria's President or die tryin'

So, no one was surprised to see Atiku in a poster which had the words: "A prosperous Nigeria is possible...Vote Atiku..."

But "Vote Iweala?" just a few inches away on the same poster?

We certainly never saw that one coming.

Let's get this out of the way as quickly as possible: Okonjo-Iweala is just as ambitious as Atiku.

Those who worked closely with Okonjo-Iweala during her first stint as Finance Minister in the Obasanjo years, say she loves the smell of power as much as the next man.

Alongside former CBN Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, Iweala never hid her love for power--political power.

She certainly loved to call the shots back then. Just ask Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

During her second coming in the same capacity under former President Goodluck Jonathan, Okonjo-Iweala was handed the free role of Prime Minister. She had all of Nigeria's economy in her breast pocket.

So, yes, if she's handed the role of Vice President today, she'll take it.

But don't get it twisted.

She's denied that the campaign poster had her blessings.

In a statement made available through her Media Consultant, Paul Nwabuikwu, Okonjo-Iweala described the campaign poster as “mischievous”.

Let's not even lie, that sh*** was mischievous as hell.

She continued: "Our attention has been drawn to speculative media stories linking former Minister of Finance, Dr Okonjo-Iweala with the next presidential election scheduled to hold in 2019.“In an effort to invest their efforts with phony credibility, those behind the project have even gone to the extent of designing a fake campaign poster embossed with her image.“This is to clarify that Dr Okonjo-Iweala who is busy with important international duties has absolutely nothing to do with these speculations and activities.“She has neither discussed nor endorsed them with anybody.“We urge the Nigerian media and public to ignore this mischievous exercise and its sponsors”.

Yeah right, we'll ignore that "mischievous exercise and its sponsors" seeing as we have plenty work on our desks.

But isn't it striking that Atiku is yet to issue a statement distancing himself from the 'fake campaign poster?'

Why so? Your guess is certainly as good as ours.

Should Atiku decide to run for President again someday (which we are willing to bet he will), you think he'll reject Iweala as his running mate?

Hell No!

So, that campaign poster may have been 'fake and mischievous', but its message wasn't so far from the truth--the possibility of an Atiku/Iweala Presidency shouldn't be dismissed with a wave of the hand.

Because stranger things have happened.