Vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has urged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, citing his age and health.
Kwankwaso made the appeal on Monday at his residence in Abuja while receiving members of the Fulani Farmers Association.
Speaking in Hausa, the former Kano State governor asked the delegation to convey his message to Atiku, who holds the traditional title of Wazirin Adamawa.
“Go to the Wazirin of Adamawa’s house and tell him in Fulani that he needs to focus on his traditional title of Wazirin, given his age and health,” Kwankwaso said.
He added: “If Allah grants us success, we will take good care of him, especially since you all come from Adamawa. An apology should be offered to him.”
Kwankwaso’s comments come amid continued efforts and disagreements among opposition politicians over the formation of a united platform capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Kwankwaso is the running mate to Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, while Atiku is seeking the presidency under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The three politicians have previously been involved in opposition coalition discussions, but attempts to consolidate their political interests have faced disagreements over leadership and the choice of presidential candidate.
Atiku has contested the presidency several times and has indicated that the 2027 election could be his final attempt at the presidency.
Kwankwaso, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), is now backing Obi’s presidential bid as the opposition landscape continues to evolve ahead of 2027.
There was no immediate response from Atiku or the ADC to Kwankwaso’s appeal at the time of the reports.
The latest remarks are likely to further fuel debate over whether opposition parties and their leading figures can reach a consensus on a single presidential candidate before the 2027 election.
