Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has officially confirmed that he will contest the 2027 presidential election, declaring that Nigeria must be urgently rescued from what he described as the nation’s “intensive care unit.”
Atiku made the disclosure in a telephone interview with his former media adviser, Tunde Olusunle, shortly after distancing himself from remarks credited to a university don who had suggested he was not desperate for the presidency.
Professor Ola Olateju of Achievers University, Ondo, had represented Atiku at a political event in Lagos on Saturday, where he told defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) that Atiku’s ambition was not driven by personal gain but by a commitment to building a better Nigeria.
Reacting, the former vice president clarified that Olateju had not spoken on his behalf, stressing that the comment did not reflect his position.
“Prof. Olateju was not speaking for me. I did not issue that statement,” Atiku said.
Instead, Atiku declared that he would indeed be on the ballot in 2027, citing the worsening economic and social conditions under the present administration.
“I will run in 2027. Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the intensive care unit it has been consigned to. The degeneration in our country, the level of poverty and pain, the anguish, is unacceptable,” he said.
He lamented what he described as deceit, large-scale corruption, and a lack of accountability in governance, pledging to lead a process of national recovery if given the mandate.
“Our country has been brought to its knees. We must reclaim and reconstruct Nigeria, and I am ready to provide the leadership needed to make this happen,” Atiku added.
The 78-year-old politician, who was the PDP’s candidate in the 2023 general election, is now working within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition. He predicted that the coalition would shock the political establishment in 2027.
“ADC is leading a potent mass movement which will shock the world. We will upstage the status quo in a way that will leave doubters dumbstruck,” he declared.
Atiku, one of Nigeria’s longest-standing presidential contenders, has sought the presidency six times, appearing on the ballot in 2007, 2019, and 2023. If he contests again in 2027, he will be 81 years old.
