By Obinna Uballa
Shehu Sani, former Kaduna Central senator, has said it would be extremely difficult for any younger politician to defeat former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in a party primary.
Sani was reacting to Atiku’s comments in a BBC Hausa interview published Wednesday, where the former presidential candidate pledged to step aside from the 2027 race and support a younger aspirant if he lost to them in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) primaries.
“If I run for office, and a young man defeats me, I will accept that. The party we have joined now prioritises youth and women,” Atiku said, adding that he would mentor such a candidate.
He, however, stopped short of confirming his candidacy, stressing that his immediate focus was strengthening the ADC’s structures and building its membership base.
In a post via his official X handle on Thursday, Sani dismissed the prospect of Atiku being beaten at the primaries.
“His Excellency the Waziri reportedly said he would step aside if a younger candidate wins the primaries… The keyword here is PRIMARIES. It’s easier for a camel to pass through the hole of a needle than to beat the Waziri in primaries. Party delegates are a special breed of people,” Sani wrote.
Atiku, 78, remains one of Nigeria’s longest-serving presidential aspirants, having contested six times since 1993.
