Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he is unsure whether he will run for the presidency in 2027.
In a yet-to-be-aired interview for Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie—exclusively obtained by Daily Trust—Atiku addressed speculation surrounding his political future.
Although he recently spearheaded an opposition coalition aiming to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the question of who will lead the alliance remains unanswered. Among the rumored contenders are former Labour Party candidate Peter Obi and former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai.
When asked directly if he plans to run, Atiku responded, “I don’t know. A viable platform must be established first—perhaps more than ever before in our political history.”
Having contested the presidency six times, Atiku did not rule out another attempt.
“I have never seen Nigeria in greater need of experienced and credible leadership than now,” he said.
Drawing parallels with the 2014 opposition merger that led to the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s victory, he hinted at the possibility of a similar political realignment.
On Nigeria’s current state, Atiku agreed with former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s assessment that the country’s democracy is deteriorating.
“The situation is very dire—no doubt about that,” he remarked.
He also expressed disappointment in the leadership emerging after his generation.
“The next generation—many of whom have been governors and senators—should have improved governance at all levels, but that hasn’t happened. It’s distressing.”
Atiku also criticized the National Assembly’s handling of the state of emergency in Rivers State, alleging corruption within its leadership.
The June 12 Ticket: Why Abiola Chose Kingibe Over Atiku
Atiku also reflected on his role in the historic June 12, 1993, election and why MKO Abiola ultimately chose Babagana Kingibe as his running mate instead of him.
According to Atiku, his mentor, Shehu Yar’Adua, instructed him to withdraw from the race in favor of Abiola.
“At the SDP primaries, I saw that Babagana Kingibe had the numbers to win. I called Yar’Adua, who was in Kaduna, and told him that unless he intervened, Kingibe would secure the ticket,” he said.
Yar’Adua arrived in Jos late at night and held a private meeting with Abiola. Afterward, he told Atiku to step down.
“I didn’t question it—I simply complied,” Atiku said.
However, despite an agreement that Atiku would be Abiola’s running mate, SDP governors pressured Abiola to choose Kingibe instead.
“They threatened not to support him if he didn’t pick Kingibe because he had helped them secure their governorship tickets as SDP chairman,” Atiku explained.
Ultimately, Abiola decided that keeping the governors’ support was a risk worth taking, leaving Atiku out of the equation.
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