Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has advised Atiku Abubakar to refrain from contesting in future elections, suggesting that it is time for a new generation of leadership within the party.
Ayo Fayose, the ex-governor of Ekiti State, has recommended that Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, stop participating in elections within Nigeria.
Atiku made unsuccessful bids for the country’s highest office in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and again in 2023. Three of these attempts ended with losses at the primary stage.
“I’m certain that, with all due respect to him, at this point he would prefer to distance himself from the politics of running in elections again,” Fayose remarked during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics while discussing the crisis within the PDP.
The 63-year-old implied that for someone in their eighties, the allure and excitement of holding the nation’s highest office might diminish by the next election cycle.
By the time Asiwaju (Bola Tinubu) finishes, Atiku Abubakar will likely be around 80 or 81 years old. What appeal would there be at that point?
“We should step away from the spotlight when the applause is at its peak. I have great respect for him, but I believe Nigerians are now more eager than ever for a younger generation to take charge. So what reason would Atiku have to run again?” he stated.
Despite his views on the former vice president running in the 2027 presidential elections, Atiku remains hopeful that his seventh attempt will be successful.
In May, when asked by Voice of America Hausa if he would make another attempt, the 77-year-old responded with “God willing.”
He stated that he would not withdraw from the presidential race “as long as God grants me strength, good health, and a long life.”
He asked rhetorically, “Didn’t Abraham Lincoln, a former President of America, compete seven times?”
Discussing his party’s prospects against the APC, Fayose observed that the structures which once strengthened his party have deteriorated. Meanwhile, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has emerged as a more prominent figure in challenging to unseat the current administration.
He said, “I always say that we can defeat the APC, but without a party of our own, how can we possibly achieve that?”
“When we criticize the APC and lack a party, you might claim you’ll achieve various things. However, Obi currently represents the opposition’s voice. The media reaches out to Obi more than they do to the PDP. When conflicts arise between Publicity Secretaries suspending individuals or vice-versa, it raises questions about where exactly is the party?”
