Why Atiku should abandon 2027 presidential bid — Fayose
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, on Sunday, urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to end his political ambition of running for the presidency in 2027 and future elections.
Fayose insisted that at a time when Nigerians are seeking younger leaders, political figures like Atiku should learn to leave the stage when the ovation is loudest.
The Peoples Democratic Party stated this while discussing the leadership crisis affecting the PDP on Sunday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He said, “I am sure, at this stage, with all due respect to him, he would rather want to step away from the politics of contesting elections again. By the time Asiwaju finishes his term, Atiku Abubakar will probably be 80 or 81. So, what will be the attraction?
“We should leave the stage when the ovation is loudest. I respect him, and I think Nigerians are craving for a younger generation now more than ever before. So, on what basis will Atiku come and contest again?
Fayose’s remarks come barely four months after Atiku met behind closed doors with the Labour Party presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi; former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido; and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over a potential merger.
It should be recalled that the former vice president has repeatedly run for the office of president and lost in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.
In 2019, both Atiku and Obi ran on the PDP’s joint ticket but were defeated by former President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.
Due to internal conflicts, Obi, who served as Atiku’s running mate in 2019, left the PDP and contested the 2023 presidential election as the candidate of the Labour Party.
In the 2023 presidential election, President Bola Tinubu emerged as the winner with 8,794,726 votes; Atiku secured second place with 6,984,520 votes, while Obi came third with 6,101,533 votes.
