Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president has predicted that the 2027 general election will be a contest between Nigerians and President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Atiku made the remark on Friday while reacting to the defection of Ahmadu Fintiri, Adamawa State Governor from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
He noted that the current political realignments in the country are not unusual.
In a statement issued by his media office, Atiku said every politician has the right to choose a political path that suits his ambition, adding that he respects Fintiri’s decision as well as the recent defection of his son to the ruling party.
He, however, said those who stand with Nigerians rather than the APC are acting in the interest of patriotism.
The African Democratic Congress chieftain warned that the wave of defections by opposition politicians should not be seen as a sign of APC strength, but rather evidence of pressure and intimidation by the ruling party.
According to him, the Tinubu administration is using state institutions to intimidate political opponents in a bid to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
He said, “this government fears accountability. It fears credible elections. It fears the people.
“Governors may defect for personal survival. Nigerians are defecting in their millions because they want survival.”
He said that no amount of political pressure could erase the hardship Nigerians are facing, including hunger, poverty, insecurity and unemployment, which he blamed on the administration’s economic policies.
Questioning the ruling party’s prospects in the next election, Atiku asked,
“What will the APC campaign on in 2027–hunger? hardship? hopelessness?”
He urged Nigerians not to sell their votes, insisting that the will of the people would ultimately prevail.
“Do not trade your future. Do not mortgage your children’s tomorrow. In 2027, the people will have their say and their will shall prevail,” he added.