Why Atiku needs to step down, become a statesman – APC chieftain

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu, has urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step aside from the 2027 presidential race and instead embrace the role of a statesman.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Okechukwu argued that Atiku’s decision to contest the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket in 2022, despite demands for the position to be zoned to the South, triggered a crisis that weakened the party and affected Nigeria’s democratic process.

While acknowledging his respect for the former vice president, Okechukwu said Atiku should now put the country’s interest ahead of personal political ambition. He maintained that if Atiku had supported a southern candidate in 2022, the PDP would likely have remained a stronger opposition force, even if it had still lost the presidential election.

He also dismissed Atiku’s recent criticism of President Bola Tinubu over claims of a move towards a one-party state, insisting that the PDP’s current challenges were largely self-inflicted. According to him, the internal divisions that followed the 2022 presidential primary, including the G5 governors’ rebellion, significantly weakened the opposition ahead of the 2023 general election.

Okechukwu concluded that Atiku still has an opportunity to leave a positive legacy by supporting national unity and allowing a new generation of leaders to emerge ahead of the 2027 elections.