“Atiku is Nigeria’s Last Hope Before it Turns into a Banana Republic” – Former Aide Declares

A former aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Demola Olarewaju, has declared that Nigeria faces the threat of becoming a “banana republic” unless Atiku ascends to the presidency.

Olarewaju made this assertion while addressing debates among activists about supporting Atiku for the 2027 elections. He acknowledged that some critics are reluctant due to Atiku’s long political history and perceived association with Nigeria’s systemic issues.

However, Olarewaju countered this view by highlighting Atiku’s leadership during what he called Nigeria’s “golden age” of reform under President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007). He credited Atiku with driving key domestic reforms, securing international debt relief, and establishing pivotal institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which were demanded by global partners.

According to Olarewaju, the original succession plan was for Obasanjo to hand over to Atiku to sustain this reform agenda, but it collapsed after Obasanjo’s failed bid for a third term. He argued that subsequent administrations reversed these gains, halting Nigeria’s reform momentum.

The Case for Atiku as a Reformer
Olarewaju posited that real change in Nigeria requires sustained institutional reform, not dramatic revolution. He argued that Atiku uniquely possesses the national political clout and northern base necessary to implement difficult policies others have failed to enact. He noted that Atiku has paid a political price for his nationalist, federalist principles, even facing opposition from his own region.

“Someone younger than Atiku can barely command the political trust Atiku can command as President to carry out revolutionary policies in a multiethnic and multicultural Nigeria,” Olarewaju stated. He suggested that an ethnocentric leader like former President Muhammadu Buhari was more likely to align with regional ideologues, whereas Atiku represents a diminishing breed of “national federalist” from the North.

Concluding his argument, Olarewaju pointed out that despite being one of Nigeria’s most investigated politicians, no administration has secured a conclusive indictment against Atiku, framing him as a seasoned yet resilient figure capable of steering the nation away from prolonged stagnation.