Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has indicated that the 2027 presidential election may be his last attempt to lead Nigeria, citing his age and the growing weight of the country’s political and economic challenges.
Mr Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 general election, made the disclosure during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday evening.
Responding to a question on whether turning 80 by 2027 would raise the stakes for his ambition, the former vice president acknowledged that the next election cycle would likely mark the end of his presidential pursuits.
“Certainly yes, because the stakes are higher and I believe that will be my last outing,” he said.
Mr Atiku, a veteran politician and one of Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures, has remained a consistent contender in the country’s presidential politics, often positioning himself as a reform-oriented leader focused on economic restructuring and national unity.
His latest comment is expected to shape political conversations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Mr Atiku has contested for Nigeria’s presidency multiple times.
He first ran in 1993 under the Social Democratic Party but stepped down during the primaries in favour of the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.
Since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, Mr Atiku has contested the presidency six times: in 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023, making him one of the most persistent presidential aspirants in the country’s history.
If he runs again in 2027, it would mark his seventh attempt at the nation’s top office.
