A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress, Osita Okechukwu, has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to abandon his 2027 presidential aspirations and instead transition into the role of an elder statesman. Okechukwu argues that Atiku’s choice to ignore the Peoples Democratic Party’s zoning policy during the 2023 election cycle caused significant harm to the opposition party and hindered the health of Nigeria’s democracy.
Speaking on an Arise Television broadcast, the APC official contended that by forcing his candidacy in 2022 despite calls for a rotation to the South, Atiku triggered a lasting crisis within the PDP. He suggested that if the former Vice President had prioritized national unity over personal ambition, the opposition would currently be in a much stronger position to challenge the ruling government. Okechukwu emphasized that it is not too late for Atiku to adopt a statesmanship approach, which would be more beneficial to the nation’s political landscape.
Furthermore, the APC chieftain dismissed Atiku’s recent criticisms regarding President Bola Tinubu’s alleged pursuit of a one-party state. He argued that the former Vice President’s own actions in 2022 directly contributed to the destabilization of the PDP, ultimately weakening it as an effective opposition force. According to Okechukwu, the current political fragility stems largely from internal party decisions that bypassed established agreements regarding regional power rotation.
