2027: ‘Time to Step Aside’ — Zangina Urges Atiku to Back Tinubu, Questions His Pro-Poor Credentials
2027: ‘Time to Step Aside’ — Zangina Urges Atiku to Back Tinubu, Questions His Pro-Poor Credentials
By Akin Alade
As political calculations ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election intensify, political commentator S.A. Zangina has advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to shelve his presidential ambition and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for another term.
Zangina, in a strongly worded political intervention titled “The Yola Test,” argued that Atiku’s record should be subjected to closer scrutiny, particularly by voters in the North and North-East who have supported his presidential ambitions over the years.
At the centre of Zangina’s argument is the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, founded by Atiku in his home state of Adamawa.
While acknowledging the university as an investment in education, Zangina questioned whether its tuition structure makes it sufficiently accessible to ordinary families in Adamawa and other parts of Northern Nigeria.
He challenged Nigerians to examine how many children from low-income farming, trading and civil-service families in places such as Mubi, Jimeta, Ganye and Yola could comfortably afford an education at the institution.
According to him, that question should form part of a wider assessment of Atiku’s claim to represent ordinary Nigerians.
Zangina: Leadership Must Be Judged By Accessibility
Zangina argued that establishing a world-class institution is commendable, but maintained that political leaders seeking the presidency should also be judged by how their investments and public records affect citizens at the bottom of the economic ladder.
“A university the people cannot attend is not service. It is business,” he declared.
The statement represents Zangina’s political assessment of AUN; the university itself has scholarship and financial-aid programmes, and affordability can vary according to a student’s circumstances.
Nevertheless, Zangina insisted that the broader question Nigerians should ask ahead of 2027 is whether presidential aspirants have demonstrated sufficient commitment to policies and projects accessible to the majority of citizens.
For him, this constitutes what he described as the “Yola Test.”
Zangina Draws Tinubu-Atiku Comparison Ahead of 2027
Turning to President Tinubu, Zangina argued that the President’s political legacy should be measured differently.
He pointed to Tinubu’s years as Lagos State governor and the subsequent development trajectory of the state, arguing that public infrastructure, economic reforms and institutional development associated with that period provided benefits extending beyond wealthy residents.
According to Zangina, Lagos became an economic destination for Nigerians from virtually every region, including thousands of Northerners seeking employment, commerce and other opportunities.
He therefore contended that the 2027 conversation should move beyond personalities and focus on the type of legacy each contender has created.
In his assessment, Atiku’s record reflects significant private-sector investment, while Tinubu’s political legacy is more closely connected with public institutions and government-driven development.
That comparison, however, remains a political argument and is likely to be strongly contested by supporters of the former Vice President.
‘Baba Atiku Should Withdraw’
Zangina consequently appealed directly to Atiku to reconsider another presidential contest in 2027.
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President between 1999 and 2007, has contested for the presidency several times and was the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in both the 2019 and 2023 elections.
Zangina argued that the former Vice President has already played a significant role in Nigeria’s democratic journey and should now consider stepping aside.
“I honourably advise Baba Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 race for the betterment of Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.
Rather than another Atiku presidential bid, Zangina wants Northern voters to consider supporting Tinubu’s continuity agenda.
North Could Become Major 2027 Battleground
The intervention comes as political forces continue to reposition ahead of the 2027 general election.
For Tinubu, Atiku and other potential contenders, the North will remain crucial to presidential calculations because of its substantial electoral strength.
Zangina’s intervention also introduces another dimension to that debate: whether Atiku’s status as one of Northern Nigeria’s most prominent political figures will continue to translate into sufficient electoral support after repeated attempts at the presidency.
His argument is clear—2027 should not simply be another contest built around familiar political names.
Instead, he wants Nigerians, particularly Northern voters, to examine what presidential contenders have built, who benefited from those investments and whether their records demonstrate an ability to improve the lives of ordinary citizens.
For Zangina, that assessment begins in Yola.
And his conclusion is equally unmistakable: Atiku should step aside in 2027 and allow Tinubu to continue his presidency.
