In Nigerian politics, few figures command the kind of genuine passion, organic support, and sustained hope that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar does. As the 2027 presidential race intensifies, one truth has become unavoidable: the passion for Atiku is already reshaping the political map and triggering a massive realignment across the country.
That passion is not accidental. It is born out of trust, out of track record, and out of the deep conviction by millions of Nigerians that he is the only better candidate who can fix the country for the best.
Atiku Abubakar, now the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has announced that 2027 will be his final attempt at the presidency. He has said it with clarity and sincerity – whether he wins or loses, this is the last dance. That declaration has not weakened his movement; it has ignited it. Across the North and South, in markets, mosques, churches, campuses and on social media, Nigerians are openly declaring that they want Atiku because they believe he can restore affordability and dignity to their lives.
Across television studios, party meetings, and town halls, the question is no longer “Can Atiku win?” but “How big will the Atiku wave be?” The frequency of that conversation shows that Nigerians have made up their minds.
Political weight is not measured solely by current office or control of federal budgets. Atiku holds none of those formal levers. Yet he remains the only opposition figure capable of assembling a genuinely national coalition in a fragmented country. His electoral record shows consistent strength across all zones, but particularly in the North, and an organisational reach that has survived because the people themselves sustain it.
When a man without government power can still command this level of national passion, that is true leadership. That leadership is what is forcing the realignment.
The passion for Atiku has already altered assumptions about power rotation and opposition unity. His presence on the ADC ticket has disrupted the expectation of a smooth ride for the incumbent until 2031. It has reopened debates and brought Nigerians together under one simple belief: Nigeria needs experience, not experiment.
Why do Nigerians see him as the only better candidate who can fix the country? The answer is on the streets.
The cost-of-living crisis is severe. Families are stretched thin. Petrol that once stretched a minimum wage now buys far less. Food prices have surged beyond the reach of ordinary people. Insecurity has crippled farming and businesses. Nigerians have tried the current path and they are suffering for it.
Atiku’s platform speaks directly to these pains – making Nigeria affordable again, restoring relief where it matters, prioritising security so farmers can return to farm, and drawing on the institutional memory of a man who served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007 during Nigeria’s greatest era of economic growth and debt relief. He is not learning governance on the job. He has already operated at the highest level and delivered results.
Critics point to past defeats and to age. But Nigerians are wiser now. Six previous attempts show resilience, not weakness. It shows a man who never gave up on Nigeria, even when Nigeria seemed to give up on itself. That same resilience is what is required to fix this broken economy.
There is a deeper democratic point. Nigerians are tired of inheritance ceremonies and turn-taking rituals. They want competence. They want a man who can fix the country for the best. The passion we see today is the people themselves saying: we have found that man in Atiku Abubakar.
Nigerians therefore face a clear choice. A fractured opposition hands the advantage to the incumbent and prolongs hardship. A consolidated vote behind Atiku – the candidate with proven national reach, tested experience, and a focused message on recovery and affordability – guarantees a better future. He has also put on record his readiness to serve one term and support structured succession, including constitutional reforms that would formalise power rotation and ensure fairness for all.
This is not uncritical praise; it is acknowledgment of a political fact sweeping the nation. The passion for Atiku Abubakar has already begun the realignment. The rational response is to join it and put it to work for national rescue.
Nigerians have decided: Atiku Abubakar is the only better candidate who can fix Nigeria. In 2027, they will prove it with their ballots.
Signed:
Comrade James Onifade
Media Executive to Hon. Toyin Anibire Adams aka Obailukan
Founder and Convener, Obailukan Strategic Support Group for Atiku (OSSAT)
