Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has confirmed he will contest the 2027 presidential election, putting to rest speculation that he might step back from the race.
Atiku’s position was publicly clarified by his longtime spokesperson, Tunde Olusunle, during an interview with ThisDay on Sunday night August 24, 2025.
The declaration comes amid reports suggesting Atiku might reconsider his bid, following comments by Prof. Ola Olateju of Achievers University that Atiku is more focused on national development than on the presidency.
Speaking from his holiday home in the UAE, Atiku distanced himself from Olateju’s remarks, stressing they were unauthorised.
“When people stand in for me at events, we preview my thoughts on the subject.
In this particular instance, there was no engagement with me to distil my views. Prof. Olateju was not speaking for me,” Atiku said.
He further emphasised his commitment to contesting the nation’s top job, citing Nigeria’s persistent socio-economic challenges as a major motivating factor.
“I will run in 2027. Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the intensive care unit it has been consigned to.
The degeneration in our country, the level of poverty and pain, the anguish, is unacceptable,” he said.
Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, reassured supporters that the coalition will make a strong impact in the 2027 elections, despite attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to downplay its influence.
He criticised what he called unprecedented theft and a collapse of accountability under the current administration.
“The accompanying deceit, the loss of values, the mega-scale, unimpeded thievery, and the absolute lack of accountability must disturb every concerned patriot
. I will be offering myself to lead the reclamation and reconstruction of our traumatised homeland,” Olusunle quoted Atiku as saying.
Atiku’s declaration signals the early stages of what promises to be a highly contested 2027 presidential race, with both his PDP and allied parties preparing to mobilise support nationwide.