Tonye Barcanista Claims That Atiku’s Political Influence is Overestimated

He aimed for the presidency in 1993 while Tinubu sought a Senate seat. While he was unsuccessful, Tinubu won his election.

In 2007, he ran for president again under the AC party, with Tinubu managing his campaign in Lagos and the Southwest. Tinubu secured Lagos State, garnering 599,300 votes and contributing 70% of the 2 million votes from the Southwest, but the candidate lost his home state of Adamawa, finishing a distant third, despite being the sitting Vice President with an incumbent Governor. He also struggled to gain significant support in the Northeast.

During the APC Presidential Primary in 2014, he sought the nomination but ended up in third place, behind Muhammadu Buhari and Rabiu Kwankwaso.

After winning the PDP presidential nomination for 2019, he couldn’t secure victory in his polling unit during the general election, losing to Buhari, who voted in distant Katsina state instead.

In 2023, as a notable northern figure, he only managed to win the Northeast, while Bola Tinubu took the Northwest. He placed a distant third in Northcentral, behind Tinubu and Obi, and also finished third in all three Southern zones.

Nonetheless, some believe he has the capability to displace incumbent President Tinubu in the North and throughout Nigeria in 2027.

I can only laugh at that!

Tonye Barcanista