By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar says he will continue to seek the country’s presidency as long as he is alive and healthy, dismissing insinuations that age is no more on his side to lead the West African nation.
Atiku, 77, will be 81 in 2027 when the next general election is expected to hold.
He was the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), an election he lost to the incumbent President Bola Tinubu, which he also said was rigged with the backing of APC to favour All Progressive Congress’ Tinubu.
“Of course, I will keep contesting again and again as long as I am alive and healthy,” Atiku who was Vice President to Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999-2007 told Hausa service of the Voice of America.
He added, “Even the former US President Abraham Lincoln contested seven times before finally winning,” in reference to his repeated failed attempts to clinch the number one office in the over 200 million population.
Since he left office, he had contested under several political parties’ platform to lead the country but to no avail.
He made attempts in 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. In 1993, he also failed to clinch the number one office.
He also lost the backing of his former principal, Obasanjo, who had taunted Atiku of attempting in vain to emerge the President. Both had fell out before their tenure wound down, over a plot to impeach Obasanjo which he said his then Deputy, Atiku had instigated.
Atiku also spoke about the current crisis in the PDP, affirming that its members have to be united to win the election.
“However, given the current state of the PDP, it is clear that a single-handed effort will not suffice to win the election. Strong support and collaboration with other parties are required,” he added.
Atiku had last week announced that he was engaging Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, on the possibility of a merger.
Obi was Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 election which the PDP lost to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“This is to anybody that thinks there is going to be a misunderstanding between me and Obi, let me assure you that not even a small issue is going to happen between us,” Abubakar said.
“Also, we are going to be behind anybody that will be chosen to represent us in the forthcoming elections.
“I have made it clear in my previous speeches that if our parties are going to merge to agree on a candidate from the south-east, as long as he is qualified, we will allow it.”
The Supreme Court last year dismissed his bid to have the election of Tinubu upturned, citing lack of convincing evidence.
