2027 will be my last presidency race — Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has confirmed he will contest the 2027 presidential election, describing the race as his final attempt to lead Nigeria.

Atiku made the declaration in an exclusive interview with ARISE TV on Wednesday, responding to a question about whether turning 80 by 2027 raised the personal stakes for him.

“Certainly yes, because the stakes are higher and I believe that will be my last outing,” he said.

The African Democratic Congress chieftain, who has contested the presidency four times — in 2007, 2011, 2019 and 2023 — argued that Nigeria needs tested leadership to navigate its mounting challenges. “I represent both the past and the future,” he said, acknowledging the emergence of younger leaders while insisting many still require guidance to succeed in governance.

Atiku maintained that his tenure as Vice President under former President Olusegun Obasanjo equipped him with executive experience that cannot be acquired outside government, pushing back against critics who consider him a relic of the old political order.

On the opposition coalition, Atiku said he was instrumental in initiating the current alliance, warning that the Peoples Democratic Party could not reclaim power alone. “I don’t see a future for PDP unless there is a coalition, a broad-based coalition or alliance,” he said, noting that the party’s leadership initially resisted his position.

He said the coalition under the ADC is united by both a shared vision and a common resolve to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress, which he described as underperforming. Taking direct aim at President Bola Tinubu, Atiku said, “Bola has been a very bad president, to be honest with you… it’s a disappointment,” adding that the current administration was the worst he had witnessed. He also alleged a gradual weakening of democratic institutions and warned against excessive concentration of power in the presidency.

On a consensus candidate, Atiku said he would accept any outcome from an agreed process. “If we don’t get consensus, then we go for elections. I will support anybody who emerges,” he said, including former Anambra governor Peter Obi.

Atiku expressed confidence in his northern political base, describing the region as his strongest support bloc, while arguing that presidential zoning, though not constitutionally binding outside the PDP, should be institutionalised. He admitted that his earlier opposition to constitutional rotation of the presidency was a mistake, and pledged to support reforms that would enshrine rotational leadership.

On security, he identified it as a governing priority, calling for improved funding, training and welfare for security forces alongside stronger institutional accountability.

Dismissing corruption allegations as politically motivated, Atiku said, “My corruption perception only arose through allegations which were not proved.”

He closed with a direct appeal to voters: “They should vote out APC if they want their future… I don’t see a pathway to a brighter future for Nigeria in APC.”