The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has dismissed former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the focal point for opposition parties in Nigeria leading up to the 2027 general election. In a statement released by CUPP’s national secretary, High Chief Peter Ameh, on Saturday in Abuja, the coalition expressed its disapproval of the proposal to project Atiku Abubakar as the leader of opposition political parties.

CUPP’s national secretary, Peter Ameh, outlined the reasons for the rejection, citing past experiences where Atiku allegedly prioritized his personal ambitions over the interests of coalition partners. Ameh stated that Atiku had shown aversion to multi-party democracy and had expressed a preference for a one or two-party system.

Recalling the 2019 general election, Ameh mentioned that CUPP, formed through a coalition of over 35 political parties, supported Atiku as its consensus presidential candidate. However, after Atiku’s defeat, he allegedly distanced himself from the coalition partners and only reappeared on the political scene towards the 2023 general election.

Ameh revealed that CUPP had sought Atiku’s opinion on the future of opposition parties, but Atiku reportedly conveyed his lack of belief in multi-party democracy, which is fundamental to constitutional democracy.

CUPP questioned the suitability of a leader who had professed aversion to multi-party democracy to spearhead the opposition and be nominated for such a role. The coalition likened the attempt to rally opposition parties under Atiku’s leadership to “trying to fly a wingless kite” and urged him to step aside, emphasizing that the time was right for him to transition into a statesman and make way for younger political figures.