Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has disclosed that the 2027 elections will not be a contest between political parties, but a showdown between Nigerians and the Tinubu-led administration.
Daily News 24 reports that Atiku made this known on his official X account on Friday while responding to public concerns over recent defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I have been overwhelmed with inquiries from concerned Nigerians, all eager to understand my position on the latest political shifts, particularly the defection of some PDP members to the ruling party,” he said.
He noted that the freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy, stressing that “they are fundamental rights.” He added that “the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability” remain the pillars of a functional democratic society.
Atiku said he bears no grudges against those who have changed political camps, describing defections, alliances, and realignments as “part and parcel of democratic politics.”
Atiku’s remarks follow the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa from the PDP to the APC.
He also reacted to criticisms that trailed his visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna. “Some have resorted to insults because I visited former President Muhammadu Buhari. Let’s not rewrite history: Buhari is not only a former leader but a significant statesman in the Nigerian political landscape,” he said.
Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of using division as its main political tool. “The Tinubu administration has no achievements to stand on, no credible record to defend. Its only strategy is chaos and division, because that’s the last refuge of the incompetent,” he said.
According to him, “Let us be clear: the coming political battle is not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering.”
He urged Nigerians to focus on the real issues rather than be distracted by ethnic, religious, or regional sentiments, warning that, “An incompetent captain does not only wreck his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board.”
