2027: There will be vacancy in Aso Rock – Atiku fires back at Oba of Lagos

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has announced that there will be a vacancy in Aso Rock, the official residence of the Nigerian president, in 2027 due to constitutional mandates. This statement came in response to the declaration by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, who stated that there would be no vacancy in Aso Rock for the next five years.

Akiolu made this assertion after a meeting with the presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which was led by Abdulaziz Yari, the party's Director-General. The APC official supported President Bola Tinubu's bid for a second term in office. However, Atiku argued that the traditional leader could not endorse Tinubu on behalf of Nigeria's 200 million people.

In a post on the social media platform X, Atiku's Special Assistant on Public Communication emphasized that Nigerians, not kings, would determine their next president through the voting process. He further clarified that Aso Rock is not a part of the Oba's palace and that the presidential position is not a royal stool to be allocated by any individual.

Atiku concluded by stating that while the palace may be insulated from Nigeria's current challenges, millions of Nigerians are eagerly awaiting the 2027 elections. He added that democracy is not coronation and that the Oba cannot declare the presidential election settled before the people have the opportunity to vote.