The Forum for Democratic Patriots has urged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, to shelve their presidential ambitions and support President Bola Tinubu’s administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The convener of the forum, Hon. Sani Ibrahim, made the call in a statement issued on Friday, saying the ongoing permutations among opposition figures over who should step down showed their lack of confidence in their ability to secure victory.
Ibrahim said the debate followed a call by former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, for Atiku to withdraw from the presidential race, alongside reports suggesting that Obi could serve as Atiku’s running mate.
“Everyone, it seems, agrees that someone should step aside, but they just can’t agree on who,” he said.
The FDP convener acknowledged Atiku’s political pedigree, noting that he had contested the presidency several times and served as Vice-President of Nigeria.
He, however, argued that Atiku, who would be 80 in 2027, should embrace the role of an elder statesman rather than seek another presidential term.
“The presidency is a rigorous, demanding assignment, not a retirement stool,” Ibrahim said.
He also rejected the reported proposal for Obi to serve as Atiku’s running mate, describing it as a “political marriage of convenience” that would not provide the opposition with a winning formula.
Ibrahim urged Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso to “stand down in the national interest” and support Tinubu’s administration.
According to him, the Tinubu administration has laid the foundation for economic recovery through reforms in foreign exchange, taxation and the energy sector, including the expansion of the Compressed Natural Gas initiative.
He also cited the national student loan scheme and social safety-net programmes as some of the administration’s interventions.
“While these reforms have demanded short-term sacrifice, they are already yielding results and remain essential to sustainable national prosperity,” he said.
Ibrahim said Nigeria needed “focus and continuity to harvest the fruits of these policy shifts, not political distraction.”
He therefore called on Atiku and Obi to “sheathe their swords and support President Tinubu’s mandate,” saying the Renewed Hope Agenda should be consolidated for a “prosperous, united and stable” Nigeria.
