Lukman Abdulmalik
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dropped a strong hint about contesting the 2027 presidential election, amid ongoing deliberations within an opposition coalition on who will emerge as its candidate.
Atiku, who previously contested against former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and President Bola Tinubu in 2023, made the indication while hosting a delegation led by former Minister Idris Abdullahi.
Speaking in a video shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, he vowed to run a corruption-free administration.
“We will not tolerate corruption in any form. Anyone caught stealing or engaging in corrupt practices will be dealt with decisively.
“Enough is enough. While other nations are making progress, Nigeria continues to be held back by a few selfish individuals,” he said.
Atiku added that the coalition’s interim leadership is composed of individuals with proven integrity, serving as a reflection of the kind of leadership he envisions.
In a post accompanying the video, Atiku decried the level of hardship in the country, blaming it on bad governance.
He expressed optimism that the coalition, formed under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is committed to delivering a better Nigeria.
The move follows reports that Atiku and other opposition leaders have aligned under the ADC to form a united front against President Tinubu’s reelection bid in 2027.
Amid these developments, conversations are heating up around who will lead the coalition into the election.
Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, who ran as the Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate in 2023, described the issue of selecting a presidential candidate as the coalition’s biggest challenge.
Speaking on ARISE TV, Baba-Ahmed compared the ADC-led alliance to the 2013 merger that formed the APC.
He noted that, unlike the APC which had a clear frontrunner in Buhari early on, the current opposition coalition lacks an agreed-upon candidate, setting the stage for a potentially contentious primary.
“There is no distant anointed candidate in this coalition. It’s going to be a very close and possibly messy contest.
“The aftermath of that struggle could affect the strength of the coalition,” he said.
He also warned against relegating Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, to a vice-presidential role in the new coalition.
“Peter Obi shouldn’t be anyone’s running mate in 2027. He secured a disputed 10 million votes in the last election.
“The VP position is too small for him,” Baba-Ahmed argued.
In reaction to the coalition’s activities, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, dismissed the opposition alliance as a front for Atiku’s political ambitions.
In a post on social media, Keyamo claimed the coalition is merely a faction of the PDP working to secure the 2027 presidential ticket for Atiku.
“This is all about Atiku. They want Peter Obi’s support base but have no intention of giving him the ticket.
“That’s why David Mark is interim chairman, those who understand politics can read between the lines,” Keyamo wrote.
He questioned the logic of making Obi a running mate to Atiku, noting that Obi won more regions, specifically the South-East and South-South, compared to Atiku’s North-East performance in 2023.
“If you don’t give Obi the presidential ticket, you risk losing his supporters. It’s that simple,” he added.
