The media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has stirred political conversation after declaring that his principal deserves a Nobel Prize for his consistent aspiration to lead Nigeria as president.
Speaking in response to critics who claim Atiku has contested “too many times,” Ibe dismissed such narratives, insisting that the former vice president has only formally run for the presidency three times — in 2007 under the Action Congress, in 2019 and again in 2023 under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He rejected suggestions that Atiku has been on the ballot up to five times, stressing that some of the years mentioned by critics, including 2011 and 2015, were mere speculations rather than official candidacies.
According to Ibe, Atiku’s repeated interest in the presidency is not driven by personal ambition but by a deep sense of responsibility to Nigeria, drawing from his humble background, decades of public service, and vast business investments that have created jobs for thousands of citizens. He argued that Atiku’s story of rising from a modest childhood to becoming a national figure underscores his commitment to the Nigerian project. The aide also highlighted Atiku’s past contributions to the PDP, including what he described as the former vice president’s single-handed purchase of the Wadata Plaza national secretariat in Abuja, a claim intended to underline his financial commitment to party-building and democratic structures. Ibe emphasized that rather than ridicule, Nigerians should recognize Atiku’s persistence and resilience, adding that the Nobel Prize analogy symbolically reflects the extraordinary dedication of the former vice president to seek the nation’s highest office despite previous setbacks.
The statement comes as political actors begin early positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Atiku once again expected to be at the center of discussions on leadership alternatives in Nigeria.