Human Rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to quit partisanship, stating that Atiku, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Wike’s G5 greed led to the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the last year’s presidential election.
In a new year message he personally signed, Adeyanju said for over three decades, Atiku’s name has appeared prominently in the Nigerian political lexicon, adding that one cannot deny the fact that he has contributed a great deal in shaping the Nigerian democracy but that he needs to quit.
“From the aborted third republic down to the recently conducted 2023 general elections, Alhaji Atiku has played one role or the other in Nigerian politics, with varying results.
“However, it is now time for him to take a bow from politics and serve as a mentor for the younger generation of politicians,” Adeyanju said, stating that keen observers of political issues in Nigeria will attest to the fact that year 2023 was Alhaji Abubakar’s best shot at the Nigerian Presidency.
“He had everything working in his favour. However, a combination of arrogance, inadequate human relationship, inability to manage the opposition, and several other lesser known factors contributed to his defeat in the polls.
“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was directly responsible for the division in the opposition that saw President Tinubu emerging with the slimmest victory margin in Nigeria’s recent democratic elections. He failed to support Peter or prevail on him to remain in the PDP, he failed to prevail on Kwankwanso to remain in the PDP, he picked unnecessary fight with the G5 PDP governors and invariably lost in woefully in areas that were hitherto traditional PDP bases.
“Had the G5, Alhaji Kwankanso, Peter Obi and Alhaji Atiku worked under one platform in the 2023 presidential election, we would have had a different president today.
“Sadly, that ship has sailed. It is for the aforementioned reasons that Alhaji Abubakar must drop his intention to run in the 2027 presidential elections. He is not the only politician in Nigeria,” Adeyanju said, adding that Atiku must give way for the younger generation of politicians.
“Alhaji Abubakar should leave behind a legacy of uniting the opposition and pushing for a younger politician to be president of Nigeria. He should assume the role of Moses and let history be the judge. The opposition must also find a way to work together and present a united front in 2027 through a younger candidate,” Adeyanju said, hoping that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will heed to the call and leave his political legacy unblemished.
