The Director of Politics at ARISE News and former Director-General of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign, Chief Akin Osuntokun, has said there is nothing compelling about former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential ambition.
Osuntokun made the remark while speaking on the podcast Conversations with Prof. Jideofor Adibe, where he discussed Atiku’s political ambition and Nigeria’s political landscape.
“There’s nothing compelling about his candidacy. Being vice-president, he has no political legacy as such that is compelling for Nigeria,” Osuntokun said.
He also argued that Atiku’s candidacy could undermine national integration and unity by reinforcing regional and identity-based politics.
According to him, Nigeria’s political development since the return to democratic rule in 1999 has been shaped by the principle of power rotation, which was partly intended to promote political balance and national cohesion.
He argued that power rotation has helped prevent further divisions along ethnic, religious and regional lines, but said Atiku’s candidacy appeared to reinforce what he described as the negative tendencies of identity politics.
The former Labour Party campaign director also criticised the continued dominance of older politicians, saying Nigeria needed to create opportunities for younger people to emerge as leaders.
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“Anybody who is 80 years old should not be contesting elections in the first place. I mean, that’s one of the problems that we have,” he said.
“I don’t see his age as a positive attribute. It is a negative. It shouldn’t be. Because first, look, we have to behave in a selfless way. It is time to create a rule for the younger generation to blossom, not to be repressed,” Osuntokun added.
Full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/4Z21k3N8AZU?si=Z2AkIqa2bI28x2jQ
