Contrary to recent reports that he may opt out of the 2027 presidential contest, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said he remains in the race.
Atiku was quoted to have said at the weekend his commitment to the evolution of a better Nigeria outweighs his quest to be President.
Prof Ola Olateju of the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, who represented Atiku at the defection of some political figures to the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), in Lagos at the weekend, suggested that Atiku was not keen about occupying Aso Rock at all costs.
According to Olateju: “Atiku Abubakar’s plan is to build a better Nigeria, it’s not about being President; it’s about establishing a government that works for Nigerians – that’s why some of us are with him, not because Atiku must be President at all costs.”
However, in a telephone conversation with Professor Tunde Olusunle, a Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 presidential election, Atiku reaffirmed he is determined on his political course towards the Presidency.
Olusunle, a media scholar, said after reading the report at his holiday home in the United Arab Emirates, (UAE), the former Vice President said the statement to the effect that he may pull out of the race didn’t emanate from him.
He was quoted as saying: “I did not issue that statement; when people stand in for me at events, we preview my thoughts on the instant subject and what my contribution or intervention will be, so we are on the same page.
“ In this particular instance, there was no engagement with me to distill my thoughts; Prof Olateju was not speaking for me.
“I will run in 2027, Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the intensive care unit it has been consigned; the degeneration in our country, the level of poverty and pain, the anguish, is unacceptable.
“The accompanying deceit, the loss of values, the mega-scale, unimpeded thievery, the absolute lack of accountability, must disturb every concerned patriot; I will be offering myself to lead the reclamation and reconstruction of our traumatised homeland.”
Atiku declared the the ADC coalition he is working on will galvanise popular support for the liberation of Nigeria and victory in 2027.
Dismissing insinuations that ADC’s weak performance in recent bye-elections is a true reflection of its capacity, he said a platform which was adopted just a few months ago cannot be expected to engender upsets in by-elections.
“ADC is leading a potent mass movement which will shock the world; we will upstage the status quo in a way which will leave doubters dumbstruck,” Olusunle quoted Atiku as saying.
