The Presidency has described the 2027 presidential ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as “dead on arrival,” following what it termed a poor performance during a recent television interview.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, made the position known on Thursday in a post on his verified X handle, @SundayDareSD, where he criticised the interview as lacking vision, coherence, and policy depth.
Dare said the outing exposed a leadership gap, describing it as “a disaster” and “an unraveling broadcast in real time.”
He argued that Nigerians were presented not with credible policy direction but what he called a disjointed and inconsistent performance devoid of substance on key national issues.
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According to him, at a time when the country is implementing economic reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku failed to provide any alternative framework or actionable policy proposals.
“When pressed for policy direction, there was none. No framework, no roadmap,” he stated, adding that the absence of clear ideas reflected reliance on political ambition rather than governance solutions.
Dare further criticised the former vice president’s remarks on ongoing reforms, describing them as unfocused and lacking constructive substance.
He also said the interview failed to project unity or coalition-building, instead portraying grievance-driven commentary rather than leadership.
The presidential aide maintained that effective leadership requires clarity, discipline, and a unifying vision, which he said were absent in the media outing.
He added that Nigerians are more concerned with the outcomes of ongoing reforms than what he described as recycled political narratives.
“For many Nigerians, that interview settled any lingering doubts. It was not just unconvincing, it was disqualifying,” Dare said.
He concluded that Atiku was not being denied political relevance but was “losing it, publicly, steadily, and now unmistakably.”