The 2027 presidential contest has taken a sharper turn after ADC candidate Atiku Abubakar dismissed the Oba of Lagos’ declaration that there would be no vacancy in Aso Rock, insisting that Nigerians alone will determine the country’s next president. The former vice president was reacting to comments by Oba Rilwan Akiolu during a visit by […]

The 2027 presidential contest has taken a sharper turn after ADC candidate Atiku Abubakar dismissed the Oba of Lagos’ declaration that there would be no vacancy in Aso Rock, insisting that Nigerians alone will determine the country’s next president.

The former vice president was reacting to comments by Oba Rilwan Akiolu during a visit by the APC Presidential Campaign Council to his palace in Lagos.

The campaign council, led by its Director-General, Abdulaziz Yari, visited the monarch as part of its political engagements, during which the Oba expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term ambition.

Akiolu subsequently declared that there would be no vacancy in Aso Rock for the next five years, effectively backing Tinubu’s continued occupation of the presidency after the 2027 election.

But Atiku strongly disagreed with the monarch’s position, arguing that Nigeria’s presidency cannot be predetermined by a traditional ruler.

According to Atiku, the Nigerian Constitution provides for an election in 2027, meaning the decision on who will lead the country must ultimately come from the electorate.

He said the Oba was free to support Tinubu personally but could not speak for Nigeria’s more than 200 million citizens or determine their choice at the polls.

Atiku also drew attention to the challenges confronting Nigerians, including hunger, insecurity and the high cost of living, suggesting that these issues would remain important considerations for voters ahead of 2027.

He further warned against treating the presidential contest as though it had already been concluded, declaring that democracy was not the same as a royal coronation.

The ADC presidential candidate maintained that the people, rather than traditional rulers, political allies or campaign organisations, would have the final word when Nigerians vote in 2027.