Atiku Abubakar Declares Run for 2027 Presidency
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has reaffirmed his intention to run for president in the 2027 general election, dismissing reports that he may opt out of the race.
Abubakar made this declaration after a professor, Ola Olateju, who represented him at a ceremony welcoming The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Lagos, suggested that Abubakar’s goal was to build a better Nigeria, not necessarily to become president.
Atiku denied Olateju’s statement, saying he did not issue those comments and that Olateju was not speaking for him. “I will run in 2027,” He declared. “Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the intensive care unit it has been consigned to. The degeneration in our country, the level of poverty and pain, the anguish, is unacceptable.”
Abubakar emphasized that the ADC coalition, which he is a part of, will cause an upset in the 2027 elections, stating, “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.”
Atiku’s decision comes amid speculation about potential frontrunners for the ADC ticket, including himself, Chibuike Amaechi, and Peter Obi. He has previously stated that the coalition’s central goal is to protect Nigeria’s democracy, which he believes is under threat from the ruling party’s authoritarianism and manipulation of the electoral process.
Abubakar’s commitment to running in 2027 is consistent with his previous statements, including in May 2024, when he said he would “keep contesting” for the presidency as long as he is able. Despite being 78 years old and set to be 81 by the time of the next presidential election, Abubakar remains determined to pursue the nation’s highest office, having run for president six times and been on the ballot three times.
