Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar says the 2027 presidential election would not be based on political parties but Nigerians versus President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
According to him, the coming election is “not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC. It is Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering.
Atiku said this in a statement on Friday while reacting to the recent wave of defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC saying that the “freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy,” stating that “they are fundamental rights.
“Alongside these stand the pillars of a just and functional democratic society: the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability. Undermine any of these, and democracy itself begins to crumble.
“As someone who holds fast to these values, I bear no grudges against anyone for exercising their right to political alignment. Defections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics. We’ve seen them before, and we’ll see them again”, he added.
Atiku also called out the inconsistency in the political discourse surrounding alliances and visits, highlighting what he perceives as hypocrisy.
“When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, El-Rufa’i, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency,” he stated.
Giving his assessment of the Tinubu-led government, Atiku said, “The economy is in freefall. Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels.”
The former vice President called for national unity to address these pressing issues.
