I Won’t Stop Running for President – Atiku

After contesting the presidency for record six times, starting with the ill-fated transition programme of Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, which ended with the June 12, 1993 election, won by business mogul, Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 edition, says he is not ready to end his ambition of for Nigeria’s number one job just yet.

Despite giving the impression that he would support Peter Obi, his running mate in the 2019 presidential election, in the joint ticket of the PDP, for the 2027 election, after they squared against each other in the February 25, 2023 polls, where the former Governor of Anambra State ran on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), Atiku said he was not done yet with his ambition.

Though the Waziri Adamawa, who spoke on the heels of a private meeting with Obi, after admitting that there were talks for collaboration in 2027, declared last week that he was going to support the LP candidate, he had a proviso – on the ground that the PDP, must first zone the presidency to the South East.

He told the Hausa service of the Voice of America (VOA) in Abuja, that his inspiration to continue running came from the example of Abraham Lincoln, who eventually emerged President of the United States, after several times of trying, adding that it showed that such resilience could pay off eventually.

“Of course, I will keep contesting again and again as long as I am alive and healthy. Even the former US President Abraham Lincoln contested seven times before finally winning. However, given the current state of the PDP, it is clear that a single-handed effort will not suffice to win the election. Strong support and collaboration with other parties are required,” he, told the network on Thursday.

Atiku, who was Vice President, between 1999 and 2007 under the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo had previously contested in 2007, against Umaru Yar’Adua, 2011 against Goodluck Jonathan, 2015 primaries against Muhammadu Buhari, as well as 2019 against the same former President, before the 2023 edition that produced Tinubu.

A former Nigerian Customs Services (NCS), boss, Atiku, who was 77 as at the last election, and would be running at the age of 81 in 2027 when the next presidential election holds, told his host that he would not be hanging his gloves yet, stating that his present preoccupation was to bring peace and harmony in the PDP fold.