Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said he is currently preoccupied with the plight of Nigerians who have been exposed to unprecedented hunger and deprivation amidst plenty not permutations for 2027

He said this in response to comments made by a fellow member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Bode George, who had advised him to bury any thought of vying for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.

In fact, Chief George urged Atiku to take a cue from American President Joe Biden who recently stepped aside for a younger candidate in the Democratic Party ahead of the November 2024 presidential elections.

Atiku’s response was contained in a message sent to Vanguard by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe.

He said, “We cannot afford to put the cart before the horse. At this point, Atiku Abubakar’s preoccupation is not 2027. His concern is about 2024.

“It is about 2025 and 2026 and beyond. His concern is about the plight of Nigerians who are literarily going through hell because of the failed trial-and-error policies of this administration.

“The average citizen, and indeed all Nigerians, need to survive the tsunami that has become the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“It is insensitive to be talking about 2027 now when the 2023 mandate has not yielded any tangible benefits for Nigerians, who are now far worse off in every facet of life.

“Bode George himself should also turn his attention to counselling Tinubu to reassess some of his ill-advised policies that have deepened poverty and divisions in our country instead of prioritising the politics of 2027.”