The determination of the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to contest the ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 presidential election, has put the party in quandary. Atiku, who has been contesting the nation’s number 1 office since 1993, is still insisting in seeking the party’s ticket.
Last Thursday, he appointed Dr. Benjamin Chika Ugwu as Special Assistant and Coordinator of his South East support groups. Ugwu’s role, according to statement by Media Office in Abuja, is “to coordinate, professionalize and support all the South East-based support groups aligned to the former Vice President.”
The former vice president is likely to choose former Imo State governor, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, as running mate if he wins ADC ticket. He said in a television interview that 2027 will be his last to run for the nation’s presidency. But Atiku’s presidential ambition is ruffling feathers in both the ADC and opposition political parties, which yesterday in Ibadan, Oyo State, agreed to field one candidate to face Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Sunday Telegraph gathered that the ADC leaders believe that the stakes will be too high for the party if Atiku’s picks the ticket. Although the David Markled National Working Committee (NWC) is said to be occupied at the moment, with the appeal filed before the Supreme Court, the party is interested in the candidate who will win the election for them.
“Mark wants to make history as Chairman who wins the presidency for the ADC. That’s why we are concerned about the candidates, not just the presidency, but across all levels who will win elections for us. “But at the moment, our concern is the appeal at the Supreme Court, and we hope and pray that it goes our way,” the party source stated.
Apart from Atiku, other aspirants to the ticket are Mr. Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi. Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen last week, also declared his interest in the ticket. While Obi and Amaechi are from the south, Atiku and Hayatu-Deen are from the north. Political analysts are of the opinion that any northern ticket will be injurious to the ADC at the moment.
Their argument is that the south still has four years to complete its turn, which started in 2023. “Until after 2031, any political party fielding presidential candidate from the north is going against the rotational presidency between north and south. “My candid advice for ADC is to zone its presidency to the south, just like other parties,” Sunday Telegraph was further told.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has already settled for President Bola Tinubu as its presidential candidate. Both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party have zoned their ticket to the south. The ADC has not yet made any statement concerning its ticket, even before this present leadership challenges.
The odds appear to be against Atiku should he win the ADC presidential ticket. It was believed that he lost the 2023 presidential election for the simple reason that it would be against the gentleman’s agreement if after eight years of northern presidency, another northerner is voted to take over from him.
The former vice president however, in the television interview, argued that the south has spent more years in power than the north under this present democratic rule.
