Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The much anticipated 2027 presidential election will be based on Nigerians versus President Bola Tinubu-led administration rather than political parties. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said this in a statement on Friday as he reacted to the recent wave of defection from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, on Wednesday, defected from PDP, to the ruling party
Similarly, the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP in the last election, Ifeanyi Okowa announced his defection to the APC the same day.
Reacting, Atiku noted that the “freedom of association and expression are not optional in a democracy,” stating that “they are fundamental rights.
Said he: “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 former VP lamented how some persons resorted to insults because he recently visited former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Noted he: “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”.
Atiku observed that the coming election was “not APC versus PDP, or LP versus APC, pointing out that It was Nigerians versus an administration that has plunged the nation into untold suffering. The economy is in a freefall.
Noted he: “Inflation is choking the masses. Jobs are vanishing. Youth restiveness is surging to terrifying levels. Nigerians are not just tired; they are angry, and rightfully so.
“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”.
