Fielding Atiku in 2027 will lead to PDP’s collapse – Party chieftain warns

Former presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nwachukwu Anakwenze, has cautioned the PDP against presenting Atiku Abubakar as its flagbearer for the 2027 presidential election, warning that such a move could lead to the party’s total collapse.

In an interview, Anakwenze said the PDP risks losing the few states it still governs if it fails to embrace new leadership.

“I belong to PDP. PDP has problems because people like Atiku do not want it to succeed. He is one of those holding the party down,” Anakwenze said.

The U.S.-based medical doctor and political leader called for a shift toward visionary and untainted leadership.

His words: “Nigeria is underdeveloped not because we lack resources, but because we have lacked the right kind of leadership. The smartest people in Nigeria have not ruled the country, and that is why we are losing on all fronts.”

He decried the grip of ethnic and religious sentiments on Nigeria’s political system and lamented the dominance of individuals he described as unfit to lead.

“In Nigeria, only people who are supposed to be in prison are the ones calling the shots,” he said.

Anakwenze’s remarks come amid internal rumblings within the PDP over zoning and future leadership, as political realignments begin ahead of the 2027 elections.