A two time Governorship aspirant in Edo State, High Chief Jacob Egietseme Idinye, has thrown his weight behind the presidential aspiration of former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should he declare interest to contest the presidential election come 2027.
Idinye who disagreed with Otunba Segun Showunmi a former spokesperson to Atiku said the Waziri of Adamawa has political experience, and that he is full of agility and of sound mental acumen, adding that Showunmi should remember that politics has no age limit anywhere in the world and if elected, Atiku would move the country forward.
Showunmi had in a recent interview asserted that Atiku should give the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate the opportunity to run as President and use his political structure to assist him in realizing his dream in the 2027 presidential election.
“Atiku has the vision, the capacity to rule, build on the foundation of previous administrations as well as make Nigeria better. Meanwhile, Showunmi or anyone else who thinks like him should know that anywhere in the world politics has no age limit, it is the quality of age of ideas that matters,” Idinye said.
In his brief chat with some political correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, Idinye noted that “Atiku has what it takes to build on the developmental strides and legacies of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.”
He continues, “American system of government has essentially proven that age isn’t a barrier in politics, the President-elect, Donald Trump is 78 years old whilst the out going President, Joe Biden is 82 years old. The reality is that they truly show capacity to drive the ideals, programmes and policies of their political parties while also putting America first in their dealings and building diplomatic ties globally in different strata of life, and that is what Atiku also stands for, within the Nigeria’s political space. Therefore Segun Showunmi and others who think like him should be properly guided,” Idinye stated.
The Etsako born politician while also reacting to the shocking political shift on Thursday at the House of Representatives which has somewhat rendered Labour Party as a political party not ready enough to win an election in 2027 said:
“Infact to render Showunmi’s narrative more defective, only on Thursday, December 5, 2024, four prominent members of the Labour Party (LP) in the House of Representatives have resigned and announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The lawmakers are, Hon. Engr. Esosa Iyawe (Oredo Federal Constituency, Edo State), Hon. Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West Constituency, Imo State), Hon. Mathew Donatus (Kaura Federal Constituency, Kaduna State), and Hon. Akiba Bassey (Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Constituency, Cross River State), they cited internal party instability as the primary reason for their departure.
“So how can anyone say Alhaji Atiku should give the candidate of Labour Party the chance of winning the 2027 presidential election? LP that is diminishing in numerical strength and structure on a daily basis should be given a chance in 2027? This is really laughable. Political aspiration is only for serious minded people with clarity of thought. Alhaji Atiku remains stronger and his political structure is intact and stable.”
