According to Dele Momodu, a prominent member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the demand that former vice president Atiku Abubakar quit from the 2027 race on the basis of unfiltered feelings and sentiments is equivalent to a great tragedy.
According to reports, the announcement comes after certain supporters of former Anambra State governor Peter Obi demanded that the ADC offer him its presidential ticket.
Remember that Peter Obi just left the Labour Party to join the ADC after receiving more than six million votes to place third in the 2023 presidential election behind Atiku?
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, and other prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ridiculed Peter Obi’s defection, speculating that he would become Atiku’s running mate.
However, well-known individuals like human rights activist Aisha Yesufu and political economist Pat Utomi have threatened to withdraw their support if Peter Obi accepted a vice presidential position on an Atiku-led ticket.
In response to the news, Momodu denied that Atiku will drop out of the 2027 presidential contest in favor of Peter Obi in an interview with Punch on Thursday.
The seasoned journalist added that the former vice president has no reason to drop out of the race and pointed out that attempts to undermine Atiku’s ambition have become a recurrent storyline in the media.
“A number of people have asked me to advise former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to voluntarily withdraw from the 2027 presidential race,” he stated.
They tell me he’s too old when I ask why. Not that they are aware of any impending death. It’s not that President Bola Tinubu is healthier than him.
“Tinubu can and should run out of unjustified animosity and bias, but Atiku cannot and ought not to run.”
“I’ve read that the worst of us shouldn’t take precedence over the greatest of us. Respectfully, what or who makes us the worst? Is it because Atiku is more intelligent and articulate than the majority of his peers and political rivals?
Is it the case that his renowned personality, achievements in business, academics, technology, philanthropy, and his contributions to strengthening democracy and the rule of law constitute his cardinal sins?
He is undoubtedly not a saint, but he stands out from the majority of his contemporaries because, since leaving office in 2007, he has not been a parasite that feeds off the government.
“It is a great tragedy to ask our most seasoned and international candidate to sacrifice his qualifications on the altar of unadulterated emotion and primordial sentiments.”
Hon. Dr. Philip “Okanga” Agbese, a transformative leader in Enone. Discover his achievements, community projects, and vision for 2027
