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No-Vacancy: ACF, Atiku, Others Berates Presidency Over 2027 poll

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Tuesday, December 10th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Arewa Consultative Forum and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, coupled with some stakeholders have berated the Presidency for commenting that President Bola Tinubu would stay in power till 2031.

The ACF had stated that President Tinubu should concentrate on delivering the dividends of democracy instead of talking about the 2027 election.

The African Examiner recalls that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, on Sunday tasked northern political leaders preparing to run for the 2027 Presidency to set aside their agenda and wait until 2031 when President Tinubu would have completed his second term.

Speaking on a TVC programme, the SGF stated: “President Tinubu as a southerner should be allowed to have a second term, meaning that those eyeing the Presidency from the North in 2027 should look beyond that year by waiting till 2031.

“If it is the will of God for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to be President of Nigeria, even at the age of 90, he can get it. But he and other northerners eyeing the office now should look beyond 2027.”

Reacting, the ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, in an interview with The Punch in Kaduna on Monday stated that it was too early to start debating the 2027 Presidency.

“So far, we have not issued any stand one way or the other on the issue. We thought concentration should be on good governance and delivery of services to the electorate,” he said.

Although, the ACF did not out rightly endorse or reject Akume’s statement but according to Muhammad-Baba the talk about the 2027 Presidency is a distraction.

He said: “Our position is that it’s too early to debate the 2027 Presidency. We think the focus should be on good governance and the delivery of good dividends of democracy to the people.

“This talk of 2027 is too early, and it’s a distraction to the dialogue that should be taking place. Is democracy paying off for the people? Should the government do something for the people? This is what should preoccupy the minds of Nigerians, not the 2027 Presidency.”

Reacting to Akume’s stance, ex-Vice President Atiku, who lost the 2023 presidential poll to Tinubu, stated that there was a six-year difference in the length of time the North and South have held the Presidency.

Atiku, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, disclosed that by 2027, the South will have had 17 years of leadership.

Atiku said: “Where, then, does true equity and fairness reside? By the year 2027, the South would have enjoyed 17 years of leadership — eight years under Obasanjo, five years under Jonathan, and four years under Tinubu — while the North would have experienced only 11 years, with Yar’Adua serving three and Buhari eight. This resulted in a disparity of six years between the North and South, casting a shadow over the balance of power.

“In any case, the power to elect and vote out their government lies firmly with the Nigerian people, entrusted to them upon the government’s ability to prove itself worthy of the people’s ballot. But has the Tinubu government demonstrated that it deserves to be re-elected? The answer, alas, is as clear as the heavens themselves — God forbid.”

The Peoples Democratic Party described 2027 as a rescue mission, adding that no individual could halt another person’s political ambition.

PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, slammed Akume for attempting to undermine the ambitions of others for the benefit of President Tinubu.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Osadolor stated, “Such an unfortunate statement could only have been made by someone benefiting from the maladministration of the current Presidency, as led by President Bola Tinubu.

“I won’t blame George Akume; he has always lived a privileged life, from being a senator, governor, and now the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. So, I am sure he’s one of those who have alienated President Tinubu from the realities with lies and praise singing. They have disconnected the President from the current realities in Nigeria.

“I won’t blame George Akume because I don’t know when he last visited the market in Benue, not to mention other parts of Nigeria, as he lives on taxpayers’ money and is unaware that people are suffering.”

Osadolor stated that by 2027, Nigerians would have the opportunity to restore and rebuild the country.

He stated: “It is most unfortunate for anyone to want to shut down the ambition of another, irrespective of what part of the country the person is from. This is a democracy, and as democrats, we are all committed to good governance in this country. We are committed to having the best of us represent all of us. Nobody can stop another person’s ambition.

“No person has the right or should arrogate such powers to themselves simply because they are benefiting from one corner or another of the system. Come 2027, it will be a mission to rescue, rebuild, and revive Nigeria.

“Come 2027, the people of Nigeria will have the authority to rehabilitate and rebuild the country. Therefore, it requires all well-meaning Nigerians, irrespective of where they are from, to come forward. We will look at the best of them, support them, and whoever among them emerges, it is our prayer and sincere desire that Nigerians—who have endured the last 8 to 12 years of the APC monstrosity called governance — rally around that person so that Nigeria can be saved and rebuilt.”

Responding to Akume’s statement, PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, stated that the party would defeat the APC in 2027, the same way the National Democratic Congress defeated the ruling party in Ghana’s presidential election on Saturday.

Ologunagba, in a statement on Monday, stated that Ghana’s opposition NDC victory is a perfect example of the people’s power prevailing over misrule and oppressive government policies.

It is worth recalling that former President, John Mahama, was announced winner of the country’s presidential election after his main opponent, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, admitted defeat.

Reacting, Ologunagba said: “The Peoples Democratic Party congratulates the people of Ghana for their resilience in defending democracy and ensuring that their will prevailed in the Saturday, December 7, 2024, presidential election, which returned the National Democratic Congress and President John Mahama to power.

“The victory of democracy on the platform of the opposition NDC is a clear demonstration of the triumph of the power of the people over misrule and oppressive policies of government as now being witnessed in Nigeria under the corrupt, rudderless and insensitive All Progressives Congress.

“The verdict of the people of Ghana in this presidential election is a signal to the APC that its days in office are numbered as the power of the people in Nigeria, just like in Ghana, will surely prevail, end APC’s oppressive rule and return Nigeria to the path of good governance, security, political stability and economic prosperity on the platform of the PDP in 2027.

“Once a prosperous nation and a preferred destination for international foreign investment and one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, has been reduced to ruins by the APC.

“It is intolerable that the APC has in the last nine and half years wrecked our collective patrimony, opened our country to terrorists, resulting in the killing of over 65,000 Nigerians; destroyed the creative abilities of our youths; plunged our naira from about N197 under the PDP to nearly N2,000 to the dollar with over 34 per cent inflation rate and crippled our productive sectors leading to over 40 per cent unemployment rate.

“It mortgaged the future of our country through reckless borrowing, foisted repressive policies including the rise in the cost of petrol from N97 per litre under the PDP to over N1,000 today and subjected Nigerians to misery where millions of families can no longer afford their daily meals and other necessities of life.”

The publicity secretary emphasised that what was even more troubling was that while Nigerians endured immense hardship, the APC leaders were allegedly indifferent and unaccountable, imposing severe taxes on the citizens.