By Ade Oyeyemi
Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his decision to contest the presidency again in 2027, describing it as his seventh attempt at the nation’s highest office.
Fani-Kayode made the remarks in an article titled, “The Seventh Bid of Waziri,” in which he reviewed Atiku’s political career and his previous presidential contests.
He argued that Atiku had spent about 33 years pursuing the presidency, beginning with his participation in the Social Democratic Party presidential primary in 1993.
According to Fani-Kayode, Atiku subsequently contested the 2007 presidential election on the platform of the Action Congress, participated in the Peoples Democratic Party presidential primary in 2011 and sought the All Progressives Congress ticket in 2015.
He went on to become the PDP presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023, losing to Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu respectively.
Fani-Kayode noted that Atiku is now seeking the presidency again in 2027 on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, with former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
The former Aviation Minister described the repeated presidential bids as unusual, comparing Atiku’s political journey with those of politicians in other countries who have contested presidential elections multiple times.
“Waziri Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria, has attempted to become President of our nation no less than six times and his latest attempt is the seventh,” Fani-Kayode wrote.
He also criticised Atiku’s movement between political parties over the years, arguing that his political history showed a willingness to change platforms in pursuit of the presidency.
Fani-Kayode devoted part of the article to Atiku’s relationship with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, particularly the political disagreements that emerged between the two during their tenure as President and Vice President.
He alleged that Atiku sought to challenge Obasanjo’s political position during the administration and attempted to influence the PDP leadership ahead of the 2003 presidential election.
Fani-Kayode, who served as Aviation Minister under Obasanjo, also recounted his own version of disagreements involving Atiku during Federal Executive Council meetings.
He claimed that he twice demanded that Atiku leave cabinet meetings because of what he described as disagreements between the then Vice President and Obasanjo.
According to him, Obasanjo intervened on both occasions, while Atiku later apologised to members of the Federal Executive Council.
Fani-Kayode also criticised Atiku over his political relationships with the PDP and the ADC, alleging that internal disagreements had contributed to divisions within the parties.
He further attacked Atiku’s reported position on fuel subsidy and made allegations concerning his past political activities and financial dealings.
However, those allegations were presented by Fani-Kayode as part of his criticism of the former Vice President and have not been established as facts by a court in the material reviewed for the report.
The High Commissioner also compared Atiku’s political journey with that of former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, who contested presidential elections several times before eventually winning the presidency.
Fani-Kayode argued that the circumstances surrounding the two politicians were different and maintained that Atiku’s latest bid would be closely watched.
The former minister concluded his article with a prediction about the 2027 election, saying he believed Atiku would not win the presidency.
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Atiku has not, in the material provided for this report, been quoted responding to Fani-Kayode’s latest article.
The former Vice President is expected to contest the 2027 presidential election under the ADC, with the campaign season likely to intensify as political parties and their candidates mobilise supporters across the country.
