Political Tsunami: Atiku's 2027 Ambitions and the Nyako Factor to Wrest Power from Tinubu

2027: a Year of political Shifting Alliances

By Tom Garba

The recent visit of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to Murtala Nyako, his longtime political rival, has sparked controversy and rumors about the former vice president's intentions for the 2027 presidential election.

Nyako, a former governor of Adamawa State State, and Atiku have been on opposite sides of the political spectrum for decades. However, their recent meeting has raised eyebrows, with many speculating that Atiku is building alliances for a presidential bid.

Atiku's political journey has been marked by shifts in allegiance, having moved from the PDP to the APC and back again. He is now the only force that binds the fractured PDP together. If he were to decide to leave today, his loyalists within the party would surely move with him, leaving the PDP at the mercy of Barr Nyeson Wike to annex it to President Bola Tinubu, since they are working together under the APC.

Meanwhile, Nyako remained in the APC throughout President Buhari's tenure but failed to gain significant traction. The reunion of the two Adamawa politicians has led some to believe that they are joining forces to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. The statement, "There are no permanent enemies or friends, only permanent interests in politics," is about to play out as two Adamawa politicians decide to come together. Atiku Abubakar and Admiral Murtala Nyako have been on opposite sides for decades.

Nyako's political journey began after his retirement from the Nigerian Navy, resorted to mechanized farming at his Sebore farms in Mayo Belwa, Yola until a beacon was made on him in 2007 by President Olusegun Obasanjo through the instrumental will of Professor Jibril Aminu,the then senator for Adamawa central zone against all odds imposed him as the sole candidate of the PDP in 2007. Nyako won the governorship election on the platform of the PDP in Adamawa State. Until the political tsunami of impeachment was dagered against him by the state House of Assembly under the leadership of Rt Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the current Governor of the state.

Nyako alongside Atiku were aggrieved and Left the PDP and pitched their political camp with the new merger Party of the APC with President Muhammadu Buhari flying the party's flag. They made an open stage war against President Goodluck Jonathan, an incumbent president and chased him out of office in 2015. The duo met to form the APC that brought President Muhammadu Buhari. Shortly after, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar left for his permanent abode, the PDP.

Governor Murtala Nyako had hoped to be included in President Buhari's administration, but until after the eight years, no position or consideration was given to him. Governor Nyako, as a gentleman, remains committed to his party, the APC, which brought President Tinubu, but still, he was not considered in the Lagos boy's administration. He is probably seen a loyal Man of the Buhari's APC faction. His presence in APC is more of political slavery, doing the background dunghill work but with nothing to show forth as the cake is only shared to the core guys of Tinubu from the inception of AC, ACN and the Tinubu APC led faction. This arguably makes it easy for His Excellency, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is shopping around for the 2027 general elections, to convince Governor Nyako to join him in this cause.

Nigerians will go to the polls to elect a new president in the next 29 months; can the former number two citizen of Nigeria form and market a new political party to win elections in 2027?

This time around, it's a war to the end of age, to either win to live or lose to die. Atiku is seen mending fences with all politicians of like minds to get their support together and wait for President Bola Ahmed in 2027 to oust him out of power. Many have envisaged that the reunion of the two illustrious sons of Adamawa, Nyako, a former Naval senior officer who served Adamawa State from 2007-2014, and Atiku Abubakar, a former customs senior officer who later became the Vice President of Nigeria, are now good friends to give Tinubu the political beating of his life in the coming 2027 elections.

However, tongues are wagging about how the former governor of Rivers State and the current FCT minister, Barr Nyesom Wike, holds the jugular of Atiku's party, holding the PDP's balls without any sign of him losing his grip soon. May be to a colossal damage that will end the party's chances of existence.

Is the former number two citizen of Nigeria planning to form another party to whisk power from President Tinubu come 2027, or do they want to settle with the one-man squad, Barr Nyesom Wike, to allow them to settle in the PDP with his guests? Nigerians will go to the polls to elect a new president in the next 29 months; can the former number two citizen of Nigeria form and market a new political party to win elections in 2027?

Whichever way one may seems to look at the game being played by the two Adamawa illustrious Sons. Either in APC or PDP, it's pains in struggles to survive in either of the Party. This is where the possibility of another new merger Party may be resorted to by the former President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. If he remains in PDP, the Wike led faction is already a thorn chuckling his political survival. It's a known fact that the Wike show down attacks on Atiku by doing anti party activities in the last 2023 President election denied him the glaring Chance of becoming the president of Nigeria. Which it's also believe that because of the jobbers Tinubu used in PDP has compensated Wike with ministerial appointment as the FCT Minister despite being a card carrying member of PDP, the opposition party.

<blockquote>The visit to Nyako by Atiku it's clearly understood that the duo have sheath their political dangling swords against each other that is known it existed over the years</blockquote>

If Nyako who is well known as Baba Maimangoro should make an attempt of coming back to PDP, students of political history will also concluded that he will make a journey to his home call State burial. Because the PDP in Adamawa it's not in the hands of Atiku, the Governor of the state, Rt Hon Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri front and back, back to back and bumper to bumper is in full control of the party. Nyako with the conscience of a Fulani right thinking Man will never forget the generational disgrace the Fintiri led house of Assembly leadership slammed on him to the extend of impeaching as a sitting Governor. In the history of Northern region politics, Nyako was the only sitting Governor that his impeachment carried out successfully without recourse of respect to his status as a retired general in the military (Navy) and a Governor who was good in welfare  or stomach infrastructure. May be because all forces then under the presidential order of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan were not with him both at State and federal levels. So contemplating to go back to PDP will be his greatest undoing of his political Life and history. For Atiku and Nyako, it's only a new Party under a merger or dusting up third forces party like <a href="https://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/2015-six-northern-groups-merge-against-jonathan/">ADC, PDM, SDP</a> will accommodate their respective political interest.

The visit to Nyako by Atiku it's clearly understood that the duo have sheath their political dangling swords against each other that is known it existed over the years. It's a meeting that Brotherhood was ensued , genuine love and renewed relationship was restored and their political differences were amended and enmity buried, peace lead the Way. They have set themselves a target gold, Nyako and his political assailants and all his structure will no doubt support Atiku come what may in 2027.

Only time will however tell, for now, our fingers are crossed as the Wazirin Adamawa, Atiku Abubakar is set to play a pivotal role in the upcoming political landscape, leveraging his vast experience and reputation as a household name in the North, a political juggernaut in Nigeria that his types are rare in existence. Following former President Buhari's exit from the scene, Atiku has emerged as a leading figure in the region, enjoying widespread recognition and admiration.

His extensive political pedigree and profound understanding of the northern region's dynamics position him as a force to be reckoned with, further bolstered by the insights gained from the 2023 general elections, which laid bare the inner workings of the Nigerian polity and President Tinubu's underwhelming performance.

The 2027 elections promise to be the most interesting yet it's a journey of no return to some politicians who have paid their dues over time because the agitation of those with younger age is becoming much more stronger than it use to be.

Tom Garba, fspsp, FIMC, FBDFM, PSLC. A Journalist, a publisher and an advocate of peace wrote this from Fombina House Yola. You can reach him via:08030525759, tomgarba5@gmail.com