As Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 general elections, it’s time for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to wake up to a truth they’ve ignored for too long: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should step aside from the presidential race once and for all. His ambition, once seen as a strength, has now become the very thing tearing the PDP apart.
Atiku has had his time in the corridors of power. He was Vice President for eight years, a position that gave him both visibility and influence. But rather than build a legacy of service and unity, his time in office left behind a trail of allegations, deep political rivalries, and questionable decisions that many still believe contributed to the weakening of national institutions. Whether proven or not, the perception of corruption and political manipulation has followed him for decades — and that shadow is simply too dark for a country yearning for new leadership and real progress.
Since then, he has contested for the presidency multiple times under different platforms, yet the result has been the same: rejection by the Nigerian electorate. Perhaps it’s fate. Perhaps it’s the weight of his political past. Whatever it is, it is becoming increasingly clear that Atiku is not destined to be Nigeria’s president. No matter how many times he tries, Nigeria seems to say “no.”
But what’s more damaging is not just his failure to win — it’s how his unrelenting desperation has continued to hurt the PDP. Every election cycle becomes a rerun of old wounds and recycled promises. His grip on the party machinery discourages new faces, suffocates innovation, and fuels division. Many talented and credible candidates within the PDP fold are either sidelined or walk away entirely, discouraged by a party that seems permanently stuck in Atiku’s shadow.
As 2027 approaches, PDP has a chance to rebuild. But that will not happen if they continue to tie their future to a man who represents the past. Nigeria is changing. The youth are more politically aware, and the demand for competent, transparent, and visionary leadership has never been louder. Clinging to Atiku — with all his baggage — only shows the party is out of touch with that reality.
PDP must understand that loyalty to Atiku is not loyalty to Nigeria. If the party is serious about reclaiming relevance and truly challenging for power in 2027, it must find a new face, someone untainted by old scandals and untethered to the politics of desperation. Only then can the PDP move forward.
Atiku Abubakar should accept the verdict of history and bow out gracefully. Anything less will continue to drag his legacy — and his party — into the mud.
By: Godwin Offor
