Former Vice-President Atiku’s moves this week are effectively a “soft launch” of what many believe will be his final campaign. While his persistence is legendary, the current context of his “consolidation” is quite different from previous years.
The most significant development is Atiku’s reported alignment with the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Having officially moved his machinery away from the PDP (following protracted leadership crises and zoning disputes), he is now attempting to position the ADC as the “Third Force” alternative to the APC.
He is trying to absorb the disillusioned remnants of the PDP while courting the “Obidient” movement. To address the fatigue surrounding his multiple runs, Atiku’s camp has floated the idea of a single-term commitment.
He is presenting himself as a “transitional” president who will fix the economy and then hand over to a younger leader, specifically targeting the South-East or South-South to secure their support.
While his team has denied a formal deal with Peter Obi, they have openly admitted to ongoing coalition talks. The goal is to avoid the 2023 mistake where the opposition vote was split between the PDP, LP, and NNPP.
Post-Easter, Atiku has sharpened his rhetoric, accusing the APC of steering Nigeria toward a one-party state. He is positioning himself not just as a candidate, but as a “defender of the Republic,” hoping to consolidate a base that feels the democratic space is shrinking under the current administration.
Despite his consolidation efforts, Atiku faces significant headwinds. At 79 (heading into 2027), he is fighting a narrative that Nigeria needs a generational shift. His camp’s response has been that “competence has no age limit.”
Many Southern political blocs remain adamant that the presidency must stay in the South or go to the South-East specifically, which clashes with his Northern-based consolidation.
Atiku is betting that the economic hardship of the last three years will outweigh his own “perennial candidate” reputation. He isn’t just running; he is attempting to build a “Grand Alliance” similar to the one that brought the APC to power in 2015.
