Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stated that he is unsure whether he will contest the presidency in 2027. This revelation came during an interview for the television program Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, set to air soon.
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, has recently been involved in forming a coalition of opposition leaders. The goal of this coalition is to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next general election.
However, there is ongoing speculation about who will lead this alliance, with names like Peter Obi, former Labour Party candidate, and Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, being mentioned.
When asked directly about his possible candidacy in 2027, Atiku responded, “I don’t know because there has to be, first of all, a viable platform, more than any other time in the political history of this country, particularly since the return of democracy.”
Atiku, who has contested the presidency six times, did not completely dismiss the idea of running again. He stated that Nigeria is in need of experienced and credible leadership, adding that the political situation is similar to 2014 when multiple opposition leaders merged to support one candidate.
Atiku also addressed concerns about Nigeria’s democracy, agreeing with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assessment that the country’s democratic system is deteriorating. He described the situation as “very dire” and expressed disappointment with the quality of political leadership in the country.
He further criticized the current generation of politicians, saying that despite many of them having held high positions such as governors and senators, governance has not improved. “Instead of me to see an improvement in the level of governance at the state level and so on and so forth, I don’t see it. So I feel a little bit distressed,” he said.
Atiku also raised concerns about the credibility of the National Assembly, particularly in relation to the recent ratification of a state of emergency in Rivers State. He suggested that corruption plays a role in the actions of the legislature, adding, “I am not surprised.”
Atiku also spoke about his decision not to pick the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as his running mate in 2023. Some political observers believe this decision contributed to the crisis within the PDP, as Wike later worked against Atiku’s campaign and supported Tinubu instead.
However, Atiku said he had no regrets about the decision. “No, not at all,” he stated.
He explained that in 2019, he was accused of making a unilateral decision when he picked Peter Obi as his running mate. To avoid a similar situation in 2023, he left the choice to a committee that recommended three names: Ifeanyi Okowa, Wike, and Udom Emmanuel. He ultimately chose Okowa because he was the first choice on the list.
Atiku also spoke about his past political experiences, particularly his role in the 1993 election, when he stepped down for Chief Moshood Abiola during the Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries. He recalled how his political mentor, Shehu Yar’adua, instructed him to withdraw from the race.
Atiku revealed that Abiola initially had an agreement with Yar’adua to pick him as a running mate but later abandoned the deal due to pressure from SDP governors. He said the governors threatened Abiola, insisting he must select Babagana Kingibe or risk losing their support.
“They threatened him and said, ‘Look, if you don’t take Kingibe, we are not going to support you.’ And the reason being that, all of them got their tickets when Kingibe was the chairman of SDP and Abiola felt that it was a risk worth taking,” Atiku explained.
