The Concerned Nigerians for Democratic Sustainability (CNCDS) has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to abandon plans for another presidential bid and instead focus on providing statesmanlike leadership as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
The organisation said the country is at a crucial stage in its democratic development, stressing the need for open discussions on leadership transition, generational change, and the direction of opposition politics.
In a statement signed by the group’s Coordinator, Ambassador Mukhtar Garba, CNCDS said Atiku must choose between becoming a respected elder statesman who contributes to democratic growth or remaining a recurring presidential contender whose ambitions continue to strain opposition unity.
The group argued that reports suggesting Atiku may seek the presidency for a seventh time highlight a deeper challenge within Nigeria’s political structure, where older politicians continue to dominate the political landscape while younger leaders struggle for space.
Garba said: “At 79 years old and reportedly preparing for what would be his seventh presidential contest, Atiku represents not merely an individual ambition but a troubling symbol of Nigeria’s refusal to allow political transition, institutional growth, and leadership succession within the opposition space.
“While every Nigerian has a constitutional right to seek office, no democracy can sustainably develop when the same political figures dominate the national stage for decades, repeatedly placing personal aspiration above coalition stability, party cohesion, and the emergence of younger leadership.
“The CNCDS is deeply disturbed that each electoral cycle involving Atiku Abubakar has followed a familiar and destructive pattern that opposition coalitions emerge with hope and momentum; consultations begin around national rescue and democratic alternatives; then internal tensions, dominance struggles, personality clashes, and fragmentation follow closely behind his presidential calculations.
“This pattern did not begin today. Nigerians witnessed it within the PDP before the 2023 elections, where unresolved ambition and internal divisions fatally weakened the opposition’s ability to present a united challenge. Rather than learning from that costly failure, the same cycle is once again threatening coalition efforts ahead of 2027.
“At a period when Nigerians are enduring severe economic hardship, rising insecurity, unemployment, inflation, mass poverty, and collapsing public confidence in governance, the opposition should be focused on unity, strategic coordination, and credible national alternatives, not another endless debate around one man’s lifelong presidential pursuit.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and similar coalition efforts were expected to become broad national platforms capable of mobilising Nigerians across ethnic, religious, and generational lines.”
The group further maintained that Nigeria urgently needs political renewal driven by a younger generation, noting that many citizens who were not born when Atiku first sought the presidency are now facing unemployment, insecurity, and growing frustration with the political system.
According to the organisation, the continued dominance of veteran politicians could discourage young Nigerians from participating in politics and delay the rise of fresh leadership and new ideas.
CNCDS also stated that Atiku is well placed to serve as a mentor and unifying figure capable of supporting emerging leaders rather than remaining an active presidential contender.
Garba added, “The CNCDS believes Atiku Abubakar is uniquely positioned at this stage of his life and political journey to play a historic fatherly role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution, as a mentor, bridge-builder, consensus mobiliser, and elder statesman capable of supporting younger leaders rather than perpetually overshadowing them.
“History is kinder to leaders who know when to guide from the front and when to step aside for the next generation. Nigeria does not merely need another candidate. Nigeria needs democratic renewal, institutional stability, and a new political culture driven by ideas, competence, inclusion, sacrifice, and national purpose.
“We therefore urge opposition stakeholders, particularly within Northern Nigeria, to resist the dangerous culture of personality politics and instead prioritise coalition-building, strategic discipline, and generational transition ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The future of over 200 million Nigerians cannot continue to revolve around the unending ambition of a shrinking political class while the nation sinks deeper into hardship and instability. This is the time for statesmanship. Not another serial candidacy.”
