There comes a time in every political actor’s life when the spotlight dims, the applause fades, and the audience yearns for a new cast. But Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s perennial presidential hopeful, seems determined to rewrite that script, again and again and again.
Let’s be honest: Atiku’s political résumé reads like a phone dial stuck on “The Number You are Calling is Not Available, Please Try Again.” Since 1993, he has contested for the presidency six times, switching parties like a man changing hats at a wedding—PDP, AC, APC, back to PDP, and now flirting with ADC. If political ambition were a sport, Atiku would be the undisputed marathon champion.
But ambition alone doesn’t win hearts. Nigerians remember his tenure as Vice President (1999–2007) not for transformative policies, but for the Privatization Era, which many still view as a euphemism for asset stripping. The sale of national assets under his watch remains one of the most controversial chapters in Nigeria’s economic history, with allegations of cronyism and backdoor deals that never quite faded.
And let’s not forget the U.S. corruption cloud that has hovered over him for years. The 2010 Senate report in the U.S. linked him to suspicious financial transfers totaling over $40 million. Though never convicted, the stench of impropriety has clung to his name like stale perfume.
Yet here he is in 2025, suggesting he might contest the ADC presidential primaries, while claiming he’ll step aside if a younger candidate wins. That’s rich - coming from the man who practically invented the art of delegate dollarization. It’s like a magician promising to reveal his tricks after decades of dazzling the crowd with sleight of hand.
Even Senator Shehu Sani couldn’t resist the sarcasm, quipping that “it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to beat Atiku in primaries.” Translation? The system is rigged, and Atiku knows how to play it better than anyone.
So what’s really going on here?
This isn’t about mentorship. It’s about relevance. Atiku’s obsession with the presidency borders on Shakespearean tragedy - a powerful man unable to accept that his time has passed. He lives mostly abroad, rarely engages with grassroots realities, and yet insists on leading a country whose pulse he barely feels anymore.
The Advice He Needs, But May Never Take
Atiku, it’s time. Time to step back, not out of defeat, but out of wisdom. Nigeria doesn’t need another recycled candidate with a suitcase full of political IOUs. What it needs is an elder statesman, someone who can mentor the next generation, advocate for electoral reforms, and use his vast network to build institutions rather than personal empires.
You could be that man.
Imagine the legacy: Atiku the reformer, the mentor, the bridge between old and new. You’d wield influence without the baggage of electoral warfare. You’d be remembered not for how many times you ran, but for how you helped others rise.
But that requires humility. And a genuine desire to serve beyond self.
So, sir, if you truly care about Nigeria’s future, don’t run. Stand tall. Be the elder statesman this country desperately needs.