Atiku Set To Run For Presidency At 80

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25, 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, is set to run for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027, extending his record as the candidate who has contested most for the position from six to seven times.

The spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization, Daniel Bwala, told Channels TV on Wednesday that the former Nigerian vice president is poised to contest for the position again after coming in second in the 2023 presidential election.

“Sure, he (Atiku) would run. He has the capacity, he has the wisdom, he has the knowledge, and he has the energy. And he is a president we never had,” Bwala said.

“Because to be honest with you, if any politician understands the private sector very well, it is Atiku Abubakar, and our economy can only come alive if there is a private sector-led economy.”

Related: Atiku Under Fire For Ethnocentric Comments

Atiku, 77, would be 80 when he vies for the position in 2027. He has contested for the position in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023.

Analysts say Atiku’s persistence for the presidential position might be the reason for the internal feud in the PDP.

Doubt surrounds Atiku’s mental and physical capacity to run the country if he gets elected in 2027 due to his age, but he has shown strong resistance to any opposition to his presidential ambition.