2027 Presidency: Why Atiku May Not Run Again in Next Election

• Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president of Nigeria and PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, may not be contesting in the next general poll
• The former vice president may drop in ambition in the 2027 presidential election because of his age concerns and other factors
• However, Okanlawon Gaffar, a political commentator, in an interview with Legit.ng, expressed the confidence that Atiku will contest in 2027, irrespective of the odds

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There have been several calls and analyses calling on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to stop contesting for the presidential election and sponsor a younger candidate for the number one position in Nigeria.

But the former vice president has shown interest in the next presidential election in Nigeria through his actions and comments. After losing the legal battle against the declaration of Bola Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election, Atiku hinted at his plan to contest in 2027.

Atiku had not only enhanced his visibility in the country since the end of the 2023 presidential election by providing consistent criticism to President Tinubu's administration, but he has also been making political moves to position himself to run for the presidency in 2023, through the coalition movement he championed.

However, the former vice president may be compelled to surrender the ambition come 2027. This can be influenced by some factors listed below:

Age Concerns

One of the concerns raised against the candidacy of Atiku in the next general election is his age. The former vice president is currently 78 and would be above 80 when the 2027 general election would be held.

The age factor of Atiku is against the yearning of many Nigerians who are calling for the emergence of a youthful president. Thus, if Atiku puts his age and the yearnings of many Nigerians into consideration, he may dump his 2027 presidential ambition.

Electoral fatigue and public perception

As a result of his age, the former vice president may experience political fatigue ahead of the 2027 election and may decide to step down as a result of public perception.

This is due to the fact that the former vice president had been contesting elections several times and had also lost every time he contested. These could lead to electoral fatigue for Atiku and could cause him to drop his ambition.

Internal party resistance

Atiku's candidacy has faced internal resistance from members of his party. For instance, most of the governors of the PDP are not in support of Atiku's presidential ambition, and the governor of his state recently stripped him of the title of Waziri of Adamawa Emirate, a title he had held since 2018.

Also in the coalition movement, though he championed the course, he is currently being faced with the likes of Rotimi Amaechi, who are also nursing presidential ambition and southern candidacy in the coalition.

2027: Analyst reacts to Atiku's chances

Speaking on the emerging development, Okanlawon Gaffar, a political commentator, in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, explained that it was not likely that Atiku would step aside from the 2027 election, considering his recent moves. He said:

"I don't think Atiku would step down for any reason, considering the fact that he was close to the seat of power in the 2023 election. We can see how he has been making efforts to ensure that he performs better than in 2023 in the 2027 elections. His calls for a coalition are coming to reality. We cannot rule out the possibility of him winning in the next election."

ADA: Atiku, El-Rufai, others to register new party

Previously, Legit.ng reported that some politicians pushing for the creation of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) sent a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), requesting the registration of the party.

Members of the anti-Bola Tinubu coalition include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi; his Kaduna state counterpart, Nasir El-Rufai, the convener of the League of Northern Democrats, Umar Ardo and a host of others.