By Ameh Gabriel
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has confirmed that he will contest the 2027 presidential election, declaring that his decision stems from a deep concern over Nigeria’s worsening poverty, hardship, and leadership failures.
Speaking through his long-time associate and spokesperson during the 2023 elections, Tunde Olusunle, Atiku said his motivation is to “rescue Nigeria from the intensive care unit it has been consigned to.”
“I will run in 2027. Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the intensive care unit it has been consigned. The degeneration in our country, the level of poverty and pain, the anguish, is unacceptable,” Olusunle quoted him as saying.
The former vice president, who has contested the presidency multiple times, emphasized that his ambition is not driven by personal gain but by the urgency to restore hope to millions of struggling Nigerians.
“The accompanying deceit, the loss of values, the mega-scale, unimpeded thievery, and the absolute lack of accountability must disturb every concerned patriot. I will be offering myself to lead the reclamation and reconstruction of our traumatized homeland,” Atiku reportedly said.
Atiku’s declaration comes amid speculation about his political future, especially after some allies suggested he might play a behind-the-scenes role in building the opposition coalition, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), rather than actively running again.
Just recently, Professor Ola Olateju, who represented Atiku at an ADC event in Lagos, hinted that the former vice president might no longer be interested in contesting. That fueled widespread debate about whether Atiku would remain a unifying figure in the opposition or step forward once more.
With this announcement, however, Atiku has dispelled doubts, signaling his determination to mount another bid for the presidency in 2027, positioning himself as a candidate who promises to confront corruption, restore accountability, and most importantly, fight poverty that has left millions of Nigerians in despair.
