Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, has urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to drop his plans to run for the presidency in 2027.
According to Olayinka, the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate was simply not meant to lead the country.
In a statement released in Abuja, Olayinka said, “The PDP presidential ticket will no longer be available to be wasted by serial betrayals of the party, who are obviously suffering the consequences of their past sins against the party and its members.”
Olayinka emphasized that Atiku should abandon any thoughts of running in 2027 as the PDP’s presidential candidate. He added, “Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and those egging him on for their benefits should let the PDP breathe.”
This statement follows remarks made by FCT Minister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike during a live media interaction in Abuja. Wike stated that Atiku, who was the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2023, would not have a chance to secure the party’s ticket in 2027.
Responding through his Media Aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku recalled his victory over Wike to clinch the 2023 PDP ticket, as well as his triumph over former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to become the party’s candidate in 2019.
However, Olayinka, in his statement, dismissed Atiku’s celebration of his narrow win over Wike in the 2022 PDP primary, calling it “funny and childish.” He likened it to “Arsenal fans jumping to the rooftops to celebrate the club’s narrow defeat of Super Falcons.”
He added, “That Atiku is venerating himself for contesting PDP ticket with Wike and Tambuwal, people who were just a little above 25 as of 1993, when he contested the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential primary and came third, is the more reason he needs to go home and rest and stop acting like the proverbial cock that failed to realize that it is now elderly.”
Olayinka argued that Atiku is simply not destined to become Nigeria’s president. He claimed, “It is obvious that he (Atiku) is paying the price of betraying the PDP in 2003, 2007, and 2014. If not, the same presidency he has contested twice and lost, could have been his to just pick if he had avoided being inordinately ambitious while he was Vice President.”
He further criticized Atiku’s actions during his tenure as Vice President, noting, “It was this desperation that made him to contest for president as candidate of Action Congress in 2007, while still serving as Vice President, elected under the platform of the PDP. A serving Vice President joining others to form another party and contesting as candidate of the new party against his own party. That’s Alhaji Atiku Abubakar!”
Olayinka also stressed that Atiku’s conscience would continue to trouble him over his actions, particularly his role in Lagos during the 2023 elections. He concluded, “Most importantly, Atiku’s conscience will continue to prick him on his roles in Lagos in 2023, and I am sure that even his apology to PDP members in 2018 can never remove from his body, that garment of betrayal.”
In a final warning, Olayinka reiterated, “Therefore, it is again being sounded to his ears and those of the people lying to him that he is the only one who can win the presidency for the PDP that the ticket of the party will not be for someone like him, who will lose election and run to Dubai, only to come back two years to another election.”
