Atiku remains on 2027 ballot after INEC clarifies court ruling impact

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar remains on the ballot for the 2027 presidential election despite Justice Peter Lifu's judgement that appeared to nullify all 470 African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidates. INEC Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, issued a definitive pronouncement confirming Atiku's candidacy stands, ending 24 hours of uncertainty sparked by the court ruling.

In a Premium Times opinion column, veteran journalist Wole Olaoye analyzes the political weight of Atiku's continued presence. Atiku secured 6,984,520 votes against President Tinubu's 8,794,726 in 2023—a gap of under two million. Olaoye argues Atiku's disqualification would have fractured northern opposition votes across the Northwest's 25 million registered voters, potentially benefiting the ruling APC. The analysis notes Rabiu Kwankwaso would emerge as the most prominent northern opposition figure, while Middle Belt voters might shift toward Peter Obi or smaller parties.

Olaoye warns that a technical disqualification could inflame public cynicism about judicial independence and trigger voter apathy in traditional high-turnout northern corridors. Some northern elites reportedly prefer a southern president through 2031 to maintain informal power rotation, provided power returns to the North afterward. The column concludes that Atiku's candidacy appears set until the 2027 election, while ordinary Nigerians prioritize "a better tomorrow" over which political heavyweight prevails.

What does Atiku's persistence on the ballot mean for opposition unity—and will the anti-incumbency vote consolidate or fragment?

SOURCE: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/923803-the-atiku-factor-by-wole-olaoye.html