Former Senator and political commentator Shehu Sani has asserted that it would be nearly impossible for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to lose in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) primary ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sani responded to Atiku’s previous statement in which he said he would be willing to step aside if a younger aspirant won the party primary.
He emphasized that the critical contest is the primary, writing that in that internal setting, Atiku enjoys such entrenched backing that defeat would be extremely unlikely.
Sani argued that party delegates are often aligned with Atiku, making it very difficult for challengers to unseat him within the party structure.
“It’s easier for a camel to pass through the hole of a needle than to beat the Waziri in primaries,” he asserted, referring to Atiku by his traditional title.
He referenced Atiku’s own remarks made in a BBC Hausa interview, where Atiku had said he would accept stepping aside if a younger aspirant emerged victorious and pledged to support and mentor that person.
Atiku had also noted that the ADC emphasizes youth and women’s participation, which influenced his words.
However, Sani dismissed that position as rhetorical, insisting that in practice, Atiku’s influence and the primary dynamics make that scenario implausible.
