{"id":121242,"date":"2025-08-05T19:48:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T18:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=121242"},"modified":"2025-08-05T19:48:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T18:48:48","slug":"atikus-age-asset-not-liability-paul-ibe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/atikus-age-asset-not-liability-paul-ibe\/","title":{"rendered":"Atiku\u2019s age, asset not liability- Paul Ibe"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

As conversations heat up ahead of Nigeria\u2019s 2027 general election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has found himself at the centre of national discourse, this time, over his age and perceived indifference to zoning. In this exclusive interview with Tracy Moses of Pointblanknews.com, Atiku\u2019s spokesman, Mr Paul Ibe, defends his principal\u2019s vision for Nigeria, and why competence must trump zoning.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Critics say Atiku is too old and dismissive of Nigeria\u2019s zoning arrangement as it concerns the 2027 presidential election?<\/b><\/p>\n

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Age is not a liability, it\u2019s an asset. Atiku\u2019s age comes with experience, institutional memory, and a deep understanding of Nigeria\u2019s complexities. What Nigeria needs now isn\u2019t zoning rhetoric, but capable leadership. We\u2019re in an emergency. Competence must take priority over sentiments.<\/p>\n

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But zoning remains a sensitive issue. Isn\u2019t Atiku\u2019s ambition undermining national consensus?<\/b><\/p>\n

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Zoning has historical value, yes. But leadership isn\u2019t about turn-taking; it\u2019s about who can deliver results. Atiku isn\u2019t running out of entitlement. He\u2019s stepping up to responsibility. His agenda is unity, inclusion, and pragmatic governance, not political patronage.<\/p>\n

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused the former Vice President of betrayal and inconsistency. What do you make of this?<\/b><\/p>\n

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Wike is entitled to his views, but let\u2019s stick to facts. Atiku has always championed restructuring and national inclusion. He contested the PDP primary fairly and won. That doesn\u2019t make him inconsistent. If anything, Wike himself understands the politics of ambition. Let\u2019s not confuse positioning with principle.<\/p>\n

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A Labour Party chieftain, Dr. Katchy Ononuju, says Atiku is trying to hijack opposition coalitions for personal gain<\/b><\/p>\n

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That\u2019s false! Atiku supports coalition-building, but based on mutual respect, not coronations. You don\u2019t ask someone to abandon their ambition without dialogue. Coalition means collaboration, not coercion. Atiku entered the talks in good faith.<\/p>\n

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Concerns over Atiku\u2019s health persist. He\u2019ll be 80 in 2027. Can he handle the demands of office?<\/b><\/p>\n

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Absolutely! Let\u2019s stop reducing leadership to age. The world has seen capable leaders in their 70s and 80s, Trump, Biden, name them.\u00a0\u00a0Atiku is fit, mentally sound, and full of ideas. What matters is clarity of vision and strength of purpose.<\/p>\n

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What specific policies would distinguish an Atiku presidency?<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

In the power sector, Atiku advocates decentralisation, enabling states to generate and distribute power. That\u2019s practical federalism. On subsidy removal, he\u2019s always supported it, but with a phased plan and strong safety nets, not the sudden, punitive approach we saw last year.<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s your take on Tinubu\u2019s economic reforms?<\/b><\/p>\n

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Reform without empathy is punishment. Nigerians are struggling. What good is a N70,000 minimum wage if a bag of rice costs N80,000? Atiku believes in cushioning economic policies with real support for the vulnerable.<\/p>\n

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Critics say Atiku lacks ideological consistency due to multiple party switches.<\/b><\/p>\n

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Atiku is consistent in his ideas, restructuring, inclusive governance, and economic reform. Nigeria\u2019s political landscape lacks ideological depth, and his movement across platforms was in pursuit of vehicles aligned with his vision. Focus on his record, not his political address.<\/p>\n

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What message does Atiku have for Nigerians as 2027 approaches?<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Nigeria is at a tipping point. We can\u2019t afford to choose leaders based on emotion or convenience. Atiku offers tested, focused, and inclusive leadership. His campaign won\u2019t be built on rhetoric but on real plans to rebuild Nigeria, with compassion, competence, and courage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
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