A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Otunba Segun Sowunmi, has maintained that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has the right to run for president regardless of the narrative about the number of times he has contested.
Atiku has twice contested on the PDP platform and lost to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates, Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 and Bola Tinubu in 2023.
However, as politicians begin preparations for the 2027 presidential election, conversations have been had about Atiku’s presidential ambitions.
Having lost twice to the APC in his six attempts, the 78-year-old politician’s critics have asked him to step aside so that younger candidates can represent the party as presidential candidates.
But Sowunmi, in an interview with Vanguard, disagreed with this notion, saying people spend too much time on a matter that’s supposed to be a personal decision and a right granted by the constitution.
He said that instead of talking about how to wrest power from the ruling party, Nigerians spend too much time bullying Atiku.
Sowunmi stressed that the former Vice president can not be bullied, adding the more resolute he becomes.
He said, “The first thing people must understand is that a lot of suggestions, persuasion, argument, pressure, and bullies come into play in politics, but whether any human being will contest any election is purely the rights granted to them by the constitution and according to the platforms of the party.
“So what I find a little bit curious is that instead of people to talk about how they win the or even how they’re going to win the general election they have devoted too much time into trying to bully a man that cannot be bullied. I know very well if anybody tries to bully him, you basically does only to make him more resolute in his position.”
He further argued that the PDP and other political parties have the freedom to zone their presidential candidates in accordance with Nigeria and the parties’ constitutions, adding that the law permits Atiku to contest.
“What law would you use to prevent somebody from contesting an election when we have even created laws to say anybody who wants to contest is free to contest,” he queried.
Recounting Atiku’s several attempts at presidency, Sowunmi argued that political aspirants should not be denied the right the constitution has granted them, irrespective of how many times they have tried to contest for a position.
He said, “He has contested primary tickets in parties before that he didn’t win, and he has also contested primary tickets in parties that he has won. He contested in 1992, he didn’t get the ticket at that time in SDP. In 2007, he won under he won the ticket under AC, or ACN I can’t remember. In 2011, he tried to do it under the PDP, he didn’t really get the ticket. In 2015, he contested under the APC, he didn’t get the ticket. So, what I’m trying to say in essence is that, don’t let us put too much energy on depriving people of their rights.”
