Atiku Abubakar: 2027 Will Be My Last Shot At The Presidency

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar discusses 2027 elections, admits 2027 may be his final attempt at the presidency.

Former Vice President of Nigeria and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), Atiku Abubakar has said acknowledged that 2027 elections may be his final attempt at the presidency.

In an exclusive interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, the veteran politician said his next run for the presidency would likely be his “last outing.

“Certainly, yes. Because I believe that will be my last outing. That is incontrovertible,” he admitted.

Responding to questions about whether his candidacy represents the future or the past, Abubakar argued that leadership requires a balance of both experience and generational renewal.

“I represent both the past and the future. We have seen various levels of leadership, both young and old. I believe expectations of young leadership have been below what we thought; they require experience and tutelage from the older generation. Sometimes you need to be in power to give that tutelage,” he noted.

Addressing criticism that he represents the political establishment many Nigerians are frustrated with, Abubakar defended the value of experience in governance.

“Look at the experience. We have had many young governors who have failed woefully when it comes to governance. They require learning from experience. I don’t think I could have learned as much if I were a president as I learned being Vice President to President Obasanjo, who came with tremendous experience from being a military head of state.”

On his alignment with the ADC amid reports of internal disputes, Abubakar said he was among the leading figures behind the coalition effort.

“I am one of the initiators, perhaps the leading initiator, of this coalition.”

Adding, he revealed that after the PDP lost the last election, he urged the party to pursue a broad-based coalition, but its leadership rejected the idea at the time.

“When the PDP lost the last election, I told them I didn’t see a future for the PDP unless there was a broad-based coalition. The PDP leadership disagreed because they didn’t want to see my face, not because of what I was proposing. Now they have found themselves in the same position,” he said.

Explaining what binds the coalition together beyond opposition to President Tinubu, Abubakar said members are focused on strengthening democratic institutions and preserving the separation of powers under the constitution.

“A number of things. Deepening our democratic institutions and the issue of separation of powers under the constitution,” he stated.

He however expressed concern that institutions meant to provide checks and balances are increasingly being controlled by the presidency.

“We are concerned that the presidency has almost turned various institutions meant for checks and balances into one roof, which is dangerous.”

On whether he would step aside for a consensus candidate in the ADC coalition, Abubakar said the group would first seek consensus, but if that fails, a direct election would decide, and he would step aside for the winner.

“Our first option in the coalition is to work out a consensus. If that doesn’t emerge, then we go for a direct election. I will support anybody who emerges. I will step aside for any winner, including Peter Obi. If he is a contender, why not? Politics is either through democracy or consensus,” he stressed.

Dismissing claims that his northern support is weakening, the former Vice President said the region remains largely united and continues to be his strongest political base.

“The North appears even more united now than fragmented. It remains my major political base. I won more northern states than any other states in the last election. The majority of the North will always come together, and I am the person to bring them together,” he maintained.

On the issue of zoning and whether the presidency should return to the South, Abubakar said there is no nationwide agreement on zoning, noting that it is only formally recognised in the PDP constitution.

“It is an error to say there is a universal agreement on zoning. Only the PDP has zoning in its constitution. If you want to be fair, under the PDP formula, the South has governed for 18 years and the North for 10. Who is in a deficit?”, he quizzed.

Reflecting on his past position on rotational presidency, Abubakar said he now believes he was wrong to have opposed the idea.

“In hindsight, I admitted I made a mistake.”

He added that he should have supported a proposal by Alex Ekwueme for rotation across geopolitical zones, describing it as the most equitable system, and added that he would pursue such an amendment if elected president.

“I should have supported Dr. Alex Ekwueme’s proposal for a rotational presidency. It would have rotated to all zones in the country, which is the most equitable provision. If I became president, I would move toward that amendment for the stability of the country,” he said.

On his strategy to defeat PresidentTinubu, Abubakar declined to disclose details but said a single coalition candidate against Tinubu would be “dead on arrival.”

“I will not discuss my strategy here, but a coalition candidate facing Bola Tinubu is “dead on arrival.” If each leader in this coalition brings their zone to electoral victory, where will Bola stand?”, Atiku questioned.

Abubakar further criticised the current administration of President Tinubu, describing it as the worst government he has seen in Nigeria and expressed deep disappointment with its performance.

“Everything is wrong. Honestly, in my life, this is the worst administration I have seen in this country. I feel terribly disappointed.”

If elected, Atiku Abubakar said his first priority would be improving security, arguing that no economic or infrastructure plan can work without it.

“Security, law, and order are basic. Without security, you cannot implement job creation or infrastructure policies. We don’t have enough armed forces personnel, and they are not well-trained or equipped,” he noted.

He called for strengthening the armed forces through better staffing, training, equipment, and welfare.

“We need more men, more equipment, more welfare, and less of the corruption that exists within the military itself,” Atiku urged.

The former Vice President, Abubakar, dismissed corruption allegations against him, insisting they were never proven.

“My ‘corruption past’ only arose through allegations that were never proved. My former principal, Obasanjo set up a panel to probe me; I waived my immunity and told them to probe. They found nothing. I was already in business—oil and gas, agriculture—before I went into politics. I virtually funded the PDP. Why wasn’t I accused of corruption then?”, he quizzed.

Reaffirming his stance on restructuring, Abubakar said he has not changed his position on the issue.

“I have not changed my position on restructuring. However, Nigerians are currently so focused on insecurity, hunger, and unemployment that they have temporarily forgotten about things like restructuring and their freedoms. It doesn’t intimidate me because I can identify competent people to help overcome these challenges,” he noted.

In his final message, Abubakar urged Nigerians to vote out the APC, warning that the country would face a bleak future if it remained in power.

“My final message is that they should vote out the APC if they want a future. If they don’t, it’s going to be a disaster. I don’t see a pathway

to a brighter future for Nigeria in the APC,” he warned. -Arise Exclusives