2027: Atiku Wishes Defectors Well, Berates Tinubu Over Non-Performance
- As Kwankwaso weighs political options
Amid the waves of defection within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says there are no ill-feelings or resentment towards those jumping ship to other parties.
Pointedly, he said freedom of association remains a fundamental component of any true democracy and is guaranteed in the 1999 Constitution as amended.
This is as the Waziri Adamawa also said the President Bola Tinubu-led administration has no achievements to justify seeking re-election in 2027.
According to him, Tinubu’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed so woefully in meeting the expectations of Nigerians over the last 10 years of being in charge of governance.
A statement issued on Friday by the PDP’s Presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, said in part; “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.
“Let me be unequivocal: freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy; 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.”
The Waziri Adamawa also had knocks for those criticising his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari, calling the backlash ‘hypocritical and an example of selective outrage’.
According to him; “Let’s not rewrite history: Buhari is not only a former leader but a significant statesman in the Nigerian political landscape.
“During the 2013 opposition merger, the leaders of the time consulted widely, including visits to Obasanjo and Babangida. So, why is it now sacrilegious for me and other leaders to visit Buhari in Kaduna? If you truly believe in freedom of association, then you must respect the rights of all political actors to engage, regardless of party lines.
“When PDP leaders are busy sipping tea and brokering power deals with President Tinubu, it’s called a strategic alliance. But the moment I greet Peter Obi, El-Rufai, or visit Buhari, it becomes a national emergency. Hypocrisy and the politics of selective outrage have never been this fashionable.”
Maintaining that the 2027 political contest is a struggle between the Nigerian people and President Tinubu-led APC administration, the former Vice President said; “This moment is about collective survival. The real enemy is not one another; it is the Tinubu administration’s abysmal failure.
“We must reject every attempt to distract us with ethnic, regional, or religious sentiments. These are tools of manipulation, designed to divide and conquer, used by those with nothing else to offer.
“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. And make no mistake, an incompetent captain not only wrecks his ship; he endangers the lives of everyone on board.”
Atiku’s latest remarks about the State-of-the-nation comes on the heels of Wednesday, 23rd April defection of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the immediate past governor, Ifeanyi Okowa from the PDP to the ruling APC.
On tow also was a member of the House of Representatives, Oluwole Oke, quit the PDP to join forces with APC on the same day.
