A member of the House of Representatives from Adamawa State, Muhammed Basil, has urged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from partisan politics and assume the role of an elder statesman.
Basil, who represents Jada/Ganye/Toungo/Mayo-Belwa Federal Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, made the call barely two weeks after one of Atiku’s sons, Abba Atiku, declared support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking with The PUNCH in an exclusive telephone interview from Abuja, the lawmaker said it was time for Atiku to step aside and allow younger politicians to take the lead.
“Whatever one does in life, there comes a time to step aside and give way to younger people, especially when age is no longer on your side,” Basil said.
He described the former vice-president as a powerful and respected politician, adding that his experience would be better utilised as a national adviser rather than an active partisan figure.
“When you look back and discover that many of those you once played politics with have left the scene, it is more honourable to take a bow and become a political compass for younger politicians. Atiku’s seat as an elder statesman is waiting for him at the national level,” he added.
Basil noted that Atiku had made significant contributions to Nigeria’s development, stressing that exiting active politics at the peak of public acclaim would preserve his legacy.
“There is diminishing return in everything. Age moves faster, and when people around you begin to move to other camps, these are signs that you have reached a boiling point in life,” he said.
On the chances of the PDP in Adamawa State ahead of the 2027 general elections, Basil said the party remained dominant and had no serious rival in the state.
“Politics is not practised on the pages of newspapers or only in the media. Some people talk from morning till night, but on election day you will not find them in their constituencies because they are not on ground,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abba Atiku, one of the former vice-president’s sons, recently defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress.
He received his APC membership card at Gwadabawa Ward in Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, saying he joined the party to contribute to what he described as the economic and human reforms of the Tinubu administration.
“I want to make it very clear that nobody or any political party can stop President Bola Tinubu from returning to Aso Rock in 2027. Nigerians have seen his good works. He is not a tribalist and does not make appointments based on religion or region, but on merit,” Abba said.
He added that his decision was motivated by what he described as massive human and infrastructural development across the country under the current administration.
“The President needs our support to continue with the good work. We should mobilise people beyond party affiliations to support him,” he said.
Another son of the former vice-president, Adamu Atiku, remains a member of the PDP and is currently serving as Commissioner for Works and Energy Development under Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri.
Atiku Abubakar is currently a presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, with none of his sons reportedly involved in the party.