Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has publicly criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his long-standing ambition to become President of Nigeria. In a commentary titled "The Seventh Bid of Waziri," Fani-Kayode claimed that Atiku has spent 33 years pursuing the nation's highest political office. Atiku is currently the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the 2027 election, with former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
According to Fani-Kayode, Atiku's presidential ambition dates back to 1993, when he contested the Social Democratic Party presidential primary. He subsequently contested the 2007 presidential election under the Action Congress, participated in the PDP primary for the 2011 election, and contested the APC primary ahead of the 2015 election. Atiku was also the PDP presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023. Fani-Kayode described Atiku as a "political wanderer" who has belonged to several political platforms, including the Social Democratic Party, United Nigeria Congress Party, and All Progressives Congress.
Fani-Kayode's criticism centered on Atiku's relationship with former President Olusegun Obasanjo during their years in government. Atiku served as vice president under Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007, but tensions between the two men intensified during Obasanjo's second term. Fani-Kayode alleged that Atiku sought to challenge Obasanjo politically and recalled confrontations between them during Federal Executive Council meetings. He claimed that Atiku's actions led to divisions within parties he belonged to, including the PDP and ADC.
Fani-Kayode also criticized Atiku's approach to political alliances and internal party disagreements. He alleged that Atiku's political activities contributed to divisions within parties and that he often treated political parties as platforms for pursuing his presidential ambition. Fani-Kayode cited Atiku's presidential contests against Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, and Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi in 2023 as part of his argument.
The former minister made allegations concerning Atiku's time as vice president, mentioning controversies linked to the Mambilla power project, Siemens, Halliburton, and INTELS. Although he acknowledged that these allegations had not resulted in a Nigerian trial or conviction, Fani-Kayode maintained that they generated questions and allegations over the years. He also criticized Atiku's current campaign, alleging that the former vice president was prepared to take positions he considered politically advantageous in pursuit of votes.
Fani-Kayode compared Atiku's political journey with that of former Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, who eventually won the presidency after several unsuccessful attempts. However, Fani-Kayode argued that the comparison was not appropriate and maintained that Atiku's political record was fundamentally different from Wade's. He predicted that Atiku would lose the 2027 presidential election.
Atiku emerged as the ADC's presidential candidate in May 2026 after the party's primary, where he defeated Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen. The ADC subsequently selected Amaechi as his running mate and confirmed that their names had been uploaded to the INEC nomination portal for the 2027 election.
Key points
- Atiku Abubakar has spent 33 years pursuing Nigeria's presidency.
- Fani-Kayode describes Atiku as a "political wanderer" with six previous failed presidential attempts.
- Atiku's current campaign has been criticized by Fani-Kayode, who alleges that the former vice president is prepared to take politically advantageous positions in pursuit of votes.
