Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, a former National Assembly candidate and head of the Labour Party, LP, has urged President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest so that younger leaders might take their place.
Ezeh underlined the necessity of a generational change in Nigerian politics when he made the remark on Sunday while interacting with reporters in Abuja.
The former congressman said that Tinubu and Atiku’s continuing participation in elections may exacerbate regional tensions and jeopardise national unity, and encouraged them to act as statesmen and back younger candidates.
“Both President Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku belong to the old generation of Nigerian politics. The time has come for these two old war horses to call it a day in electoral contests,” Ezeh said.
He recalled his earlier call for President Tinubu to prioritise conducting a credible and transparent 2027 general election instead of seeking re-election, noting that Tinubu’s rumoured interest in a second term is already heating up the political space, particularly with reports of him recruiting incumbent governors, particularly from the South.
Speaking on Atiku, Ezeh expressed concern that the former Vice President’s alleged ambition to contest under the African Democratic Congress, ADC, could damage the unity of the opposition.
“Atiku is busy creating the impression in the North that the coalition is all about his presidential ambition. Two years to the election, Nigeria is already divided along regional lines. This is not a good omen for our country,” he said.
