Atiku’s camp unhappy over Jonathan joining ADC- insider reveals

Former vice president Atiku Abubakar is unhappy over former president Goodluck Jonathan’s plot to join the coalition party, African Democratic Congress (ADC).

According to reports, vice president Atiku Abubakar had planned picking his ADC membership card this week but appear to have placed the move on hold due Goodluck Jonathan’s reported interest in the ADC 2027 presidential ticket.

According to sources, Atiku Abubakar had considered himself better placed to win the ADC presidential primary election over Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi. However, with Jonathan joining the ADC, Atiku Abubakar’s camp perceive that their chances might be slim against the former president.

Hence, Atiku Abubakar would not want to go into presidential ticket contest with Goodluck Jonathan and considers joining another party if Goodluck Jonathan reaches a favourable agreement with the ADC party leaders.

Atiku Abubakar sees 2027 as his best chance to ascend to the presidential seat after several failed attempts.
The former vice president will be 80 years in 2027 and will be 84 by 2031 when in the unwritten rotational presidency between the Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria, the north is expected to produce the president of the country.

Sources claim that Atiku Abubakar detest the idea of Goodluck Jonathan joining the ADC and would prefer meeting him in a presidential election rather than intra-party election. According to the source, the former vice president is still haunted by the events that played out in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014 when Goodluck Jonathan reneged on his agreement with the party’s leadership.

Goodluck Jonathan had in 2011 after completing the tenure of his deceased principal, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua promised to only go for a single tenure. In 2014, ahead of the 2015 general elections, Goodluck Jonathan made a U-turn and declared to contest for reelection in 2015.

His decision to seek reelection was perceived by Atiku Abubakar who thought that he would fly the party’s presidential flag in 2015, as a betrayal. He thereafter left the PDP and joined the coalition party –All Progressive Congress (APC)  where he was beaten to the coalition party’s presidential ticket by late Muhammadu Buhari.

Atiku Abubakar’s camp had promised a four year single tenure persuading 2027 presidential hopeful, Peter Obi to drop his ambition and become Atiku Abubakar’s running mate.

While Goodluck Jonathan’s rumoured interest in the 2027 presidential election has received mixed reactions from Nigerians, his political legacy having served as president from 2009-2015 and limited constitutionally to a single tenure, places him in a good position to contend with his fellow southerner, president Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

Though ADC has become the major opposition party against the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), the prominent members of the party with presidential ambition, appear to be unsettling the coalition.

While reports claim the ADC is the primary interest of Goodluck Jonathan, he has not ruled out the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) whose leadership have openly appealed to the former president, offering him the party’s presidential ticket for 2027.

Also, with Peter Obi regaining the Labour Party’s structure, the former president who has maintained a long-standing commendable relationship with with Peter Obi, might consider the Labour Party as a viable alternative.

However,  amid his Atiku Abubakar’s political future being at the centre  of speculation in recent days, there are strong calls by young Nigerians for him to forgo his 2027 presidential ambition in favour of his erstwhile running mate in 2019, Peter Obi.

While these speculations raged, Atiku Abubakar in his bid to douse the tension and growing antagonizing between his supporters and the supporters of Mr. Peter Obi, revealed the only condition that will make him not to seek ADC’s presidential ticket for 2027 general elections.

According to the former vice president, he will not contest in the ADC presidential primary election if the party zones its presidential ticket to the Southern Nigerian. Atiku Abubakar emphasized that if the party does so, he will shove his presidential ambition aside and support whomever emerges the party’s presidential candidate from the South.

While political analysts and Nigerians permutate on the most veritable strategy to defeat president Bola Ahmed Tinubu whose administration has evidently disappointed Nigerians, a combination of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi’s presidential ticket has been tipped as the most viable and endearing, capable of rendering president Bola Ahmed Tinubu a defeat in his quest for reelection in 2027.

Atiku Abubakar had in 2019, picked Peter Obi as his running mate; a development that is unlikely to be repeated due to Peter Obi’s quest to contest in the 2027 presidential election as he did in 2023 against Atiku Abubakar and Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Obi has also publicly assured his supporters that his name will certainly be on presidential ballot paper in 2027. This implies that Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar are unlikely going to work together in 2027.

Addressing the issue of zoning, the interim national chairman of the ADC, senator David Mark explained that the presidential primary election of the party will be open to all aspirants from the six geographical regions of the country. He assured that the exercise will be credible, free and fair as all the contestants will be given level playing ground.

However, Peter Obi’s supporters fear that he may not match Atiku Abubakar in the ADC presidential primary election especially as the exercise is usually monetize; the delegates usually induced financially by the aspirants. Obi’s supporters believe that his frugality and integrity would not allow him indulge in vote buying.

While the public opinion favour Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar as alternative to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there are other notable politicians who are also seeking to pick the ADC’s presidential ticket for 2027 election.

Former governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi has also publicly declared his intention to run for post Nigeria’s president in 2027. He like Peter Obi has submitted a one-tenure proposal to the ADC leadership.

Also, former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-rufai though has not publicly declared his intention to seek the post of Nigeria’s president in 2027, it’s speculated that he may be nursing such an ambition or would settle for a vice presidential role should a southern candidate emerge the ADC presidential flag bearer.