From Victor Osula, Abuja
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he is willing to forgo his 2027 presidential ambition if a younger, vibrant, and nationally acceptable candidate emerges, insisting that his quest for office is not out of desperation.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, aired as part of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day activities, Atiku stressed that his motivation is to “rescue Nigeria from bad governance.
He added that he would rather mentor and support younger aspirants than stand in their way.
“I would not hesitate to step down or withdraw if a younger, vibrant candidate arises. Besides, that is one of the reasons we set up ADC, which I am a member of.
“We couldn’t achieve that with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because the APC government in power has decided to use some leaders of the party to frustrate efforts of having a strong opposition,” he said.
Atiku explained his defection from the PDP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) deliberately destabilised the PDP, leaving it too weak to mount a serious challenge in 2027.
He criticised the PDP leadership for pursuing personal interests, saying:
“The crises in PDP were growing, and the hope of resolving them was vanishing because some senior members were allegedly being used by the government to further destabilise the party. If people who listened to me had been in charge, I would have taken firm decisions to fix the party. Unfortunately, that was not the case.”
Turning to national issues, Atiku faulted President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the fuel subsidy removal, describing it as “hasty and insensitive.”
According to him, subsidy withdrawal should have been phased in gradually and cushioned with consultations.
“When I was vice president, we proposed subsidy removal in four phases and engaged stakeholders, including labour unions, throughout the process.
“But Tinubu’s decision to remove subsidy fully, without cushioning measures, brought unprecedented pain, suffering, and poverty. No country announces full subsidy removal once because it brings pain to the people,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, Atiku acknowledged some progress but argued that the country had fallen far short of the dreams of its founding fathers.
He also dismissed Tinubu’s Independence Day broadcast, where the President declared that “the worst is over,” describing the claim as “empty rhetoric divorced from the daily struggles of Nigerians.”
