Atiku too old to contest 2023 Presidency — Former aide

A former aide to ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Kassim Afegbua, says his former principal is not fit to contest for Nigeria’s presidency in 2023 as the former number two man will be too old to handle the affairs of a complex country like Nigeria.

Afegbua who was a former Commissioner of Information in Edo State, and a foundation member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, said the PDP would be shooting itself in the foot if it gives its presidential ticket to Atiku.

Afegbua said it would not only be immoral for the party to allow Atiku run in 2023, but it would be a disservice to other candidates who are also qualified to run for president.

“Having concluded the convention of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, with a new leadership that looks promising, the party will have to rise above board to produce a presidential candidate from the Southern part of the country to complete the narrative,” Afegbua said.

“With the abysmal performance of President Muhammadu Buhari on account of age, incompetence and lack of capacity and political will to take deliberate and sustained action to bail out the country from all manner of challenges, it will be immoral for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to continue to express interest in seeking election in the 2023 presidential election having attained the retirement age.

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Afegbua urged the former Vice President to forget his personal ambition and throw his weight behind a younger candidate from the South-East to run for president.

“He cannot assume the role of a perpetual candidate or professional aspirant year in, year out, as though the party was established for him alone.

“It defeats all sense of logic for such an old man to attempt another round of political contest at a time the general feeling and mood in the country supports a younger Nigerian from the Southern part of the country.

“For me, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should drop his quest for presidency and support a southern Nigerian candidate in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice, that will assuage the feelings of stakeholders from the Southern part of Nigeria.

“It will be against the run of play and natural justice for any aspirant of Northern extraction to show interest in the 2023 presidential election within the Peoples’ Democratic Party.

“It will offend national sentiments, emotions and logic for anyone from the North to show such interest given our diversities and hetereogenous political configurations.

“Given PDP’s doctrine of political power balancing and fairness, it will be against its own unwritten rule to cede the ticket to any Northern aspirant least of all Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”