Director of Research, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof. Femi Otubanjo, has described Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, candidate for the 2027 election as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Otubanjo, who spoke in an interview with Arise News TV on Thursday, claimed that the former Vice President created ADC as his personal vehicle to contest the coming election.
According to him, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, foresaw the outcome of the ADC primary election and moved from the party.
“Atiku’s emergence is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy; there is nothing to it, and that is why Peter Obi ran away to NDC because no one else could have defeated Atiku”, he said.
Using a soccer analogy, Otubanjo claimed that while President Bola Tinubu and Atiku are in the Premier League, Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, are in the Champions League.
“The ADC is a special-purpose vehicle for Atiku’s candidacy. Using a football analogy, Atiku and Tinubu are the only two in the Premier League of Nigerian politics.
“Peter Obi and Kwankwaso are in the Championship, with Rotimi Amaechi and the likes in League One. I’m surprised Amaechi wants to be president”, he added.