Buba Galadima, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step down from presidential politics ahead of 2027.
Speaking in a BBC Hausa interview monitored by Daily Trust, Galadima said it was time for Atiku to rest after decades of political ambition.
“My advice is born out of concern and love. Atiku has spent 33 years seeking the presidency. History will remember that he tried. But now, he should support and mentor a younger candidate,” Galadima said.
He noted that Atiku, who will be 82 by the next election cycle, should consider the effects of age on leadership capacity.
“When Buhari won in 2015, he was 72. Atiku will be 82 by 2027. Most leadership crises are linked to age-related decline in thinking and reasoning,” he said.
Galadima added that even Atiku’s closest allies were now urging him to step aside and help promote a new face for the presidency.
Daily Trust reports that a former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, had also urged Atiku and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to run for the 2027 presidential election.
On political realignments, Galadima advised restraint, saying it was too early to begin coalition talks.
“Rushing into politics now only gives the current government time to correct its mistakes and strategise. Politics is about timing,” he said.
