By Juliet Umeh
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Chille Igbawua, has dismissed calls for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, describing suggestions that his age and health should disqualify him as unfounded.
Igbawua, a former member of the House of Representatives and adviser to the ADC National Chairman, spoke during an interview on Arise Television.
Reacting to calls for Atiku to step aside for a younger opposition candidate, Igbawua said: “I do not know where he has data on Atiku’s health. Atiku has not changed his age, but whether at that age he cannot govern is a totally different thing.
“I know people who say they are younger than Atiku who don’t appear to have the agility, mental capacity and sagacity that Atiku has. So, it is not the age you count on paper. Age also goes with the state of health, and I’m not seeing any of those as being a deficit on the part of Atiku Abubakar.”
He described suggestions that Atiku should withdraw and allow the opposition to “take care of him” if it wins as insulting and capable of deepening divisions within opposition ranks.
He said: “To suggest that Atiku should step down so that if they win they will take care of him, how? That is an insult. Take care of him in what way? You want to pay his hospital bills? You want to provide food in his house?
“I think it is absolutely irresponsible, to say the least. It has done a lot of damage because it is creating a gulf.”
Despite the disagreement, Igbawua maintained that the ADC remained open to discussions with other opposition parties ahead of 2027.
“At all times, we are ready for dialogue. Whether it will succeed or not is a different thing. But at least it gives the opportunity for the opposition to come together,” he said.
On the possibility of multiple opposition candidates confronting President Bola Tinubu in 2027, Igbawua expressed confidence that the ADC could still prevail.
“We would defeat the incumbent and change the country. I say that confidently. I’m not being rhetorical,” he declared.
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