Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president has declared that no current political figure in northern Nigeria commands more votes in the region than he does.
Atiku, a leading figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the assertion during an interview on ARISE Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday.
“Can you tell me, among the current leaders in the north, who has more votes than I have?” he asked.
The former presidential candidate said his electoral strength in the North surpasses that of several prominent politicians, including Aminu Tambuwal, former Sokoto governor,Rabiu Kwankwaso, ex-Kano governor and Nasir el-Rufai. former Kaduna governor.
“I mean, you are talking about figures like Tambuwal, you are talking about figures like Kwankwaso, and others, and el-Rufai, and also the emerging political figures. None of them has got that northern bloc vote as much as I have got,” he said.
Reacting to questions about Kwankwaso’s influence in Kano, Atiku acknowledged the former governor’s political relevance but argued that the state’s voting strength is no longer united behind one camp.
“Well, the absence of it may affect, but even in his own case, you can see how Kano is now split between himself and his former governor. So there is even a split in that,” he said.
Atiku, who has contested for the presidency multiple times, also used the interview to restate his intention to pursue constitutional reforms if elected in 2027.
He said one of his priorities would be to introduce rotational presidency through an amendment to the constitution.