The Director of Research at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Femi Otubanjo, has weighed in on Atiku Abubakar’s recent win as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the 2027 presidential election, calling it a predictable outcome.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News TV on Thursday, Otubanjo argued that the former Vice President had long planned to use the ADC as his personal political vehicle for the upcoming race. He suggested that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), anticipated this development and wisely exited the ADC before the primary.
“Atiku’s emergence is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. There’s nothing surprising about it, and that’s exactly why Peter Obi left for the NDC—because no one else could have beaten Atiku in that primary,” Otubanjo explained.
Drawing a football comparison, the analyst claimed that while President Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar occupy the Premier League of Nigerian politics, Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, are competing in the Champions League—a higher tier of political strategy and appeal.
“The ADC is a special-purpose vehicle built for Atiku’s ambitions. Using football as a metaphor, Atiku and Tinubu are the only two in the Premier League. Peter Obi and Kwankwaso are in the Championship, with Rotimi Amaechi and others in League One. I’m honestly surprised Amaechi still wants to be president,” Otubanjo added.
The comments have sparked fresh debate about the shifting alliances and power dynamics ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.