2027: Imperatives of Dasuki’s Message for Tinubu, Atiku 

Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh 

Last week, the member representing Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki, spoke the minds of ordinary Nigerians, especially lovers of true democracy. 

   The federal lawmaker had announced that he would not be seeking re-election into the house of representatives in 2027 so as to pave the way for younger persons to gain leadership experience and contribute their quota to Nigerians development in the house.

   Dasuki had after reflecting on his 14-year political experience that includes terms in the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives, and the State Executive Council, aligned himself with the call by the Future Is Now movement (a group he chairs in interim capacity) for 70% of seats in the house of representatives to be held by Nigerians under 40 by 2027. 

  This writer believes that Hon Dasuki’s declaration was an indirect message to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his long-time political ally, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, particularly when he described his decision as a personal sacrifice to give more younger Nigerians a chance to serve.

  I am particularly inspired by Dasuki’s two bold declarations. First, he stated that “The Nigeria we yearn for is only possible through sacrifice.” Then to cap it all, he declared: “As I step aside, I wish to bequeath a new legacy in Nigeria’s political history, one that showcases leaders, who know when to exit, paving the way for a fresher generation.”

  It should be noted that Dasuki is still within the youth age bracket, but he pointed out: “After due consultation with my team, our leader, my family, and my conscience, I have decided not to seek re-election to the House of Representatives in 2027. This is not born out of fatigue or disillusionment, but a higher calling — a decision rooted in belief, in hope, and in a future we all desire to see.”

  To be very frank, I spent a greater part of the last week reflecting on this noble gesture from Hon Dasuki. And that development actually redirected my mind to my earlier calls on President Tinubu and Atiku to reconsider their intention to participate in the 2027 presidential election.

Truth be told the continued participation of Tinubu and Atiku in electoral contests is at the root of the political pressure and tension in the country.

  After contesting the presidential election in 2019 and 2023, Atiku still insists on struggling for space with his grandchildren, something Dasuki said is preventing Nigeria from the “future we all desire to see.” 

 Then, what happened last Friday, when the Federal High Court decided to put spanners in the works for Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) planned national convention, epitomises President Tinubu’s desperation to ensure that he contests the 2027 poll unchallenged.

 Without doubt, what is currently happening in various political parties leaves the impression that the Presidency wants to emulate the late Sani Abacha in the effort to have all political parties queuing up behind his second term ambition. For this, the tension in the country is increasing and very palpable. 

  It was therefore based on the foregoing that I decided to ruminate on Tinubu’s 2027 options, whether a statesman’s exit or a nation’s fall. My take is that history rarely announces its turning points. They arrive quietly, cloaked in the mundane, disguised as routine decisions. Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency was never foretold in the stars of Nigeria’s political firmament. It was the improbable outcome of a thousand compromises, a thousand silences, and a thousand miscalculations mostly abetted by those who got power on a platter and were consumed by it. Yet, here he is, at the helm of a nation teetering between rebirth and ruin.

Tinubu’s rise was not destiny. It was disruption. A twist in the tale. A jarring turn in Nigeria’s story. An “unknown unknown,” as Donald Rumsfeld once described the kind of anomaly that reshapes the arc of history. And now, against all odds, he holds in his hands a rare and fleeting gift: the power to choose how history will remember him.

Will he be the man who broke the cycle?  Or just another name in the long, weary list of leaders who mistook power for permanence?

Nigeria is tired. Tired of promises that curdle into betrayal. Tired of reforms that never reach the people. Tired of leaders who mistake governance for feast, and longevity for legacy, when it should be about service and sacrifice.

 Yet, Tinubu, precisely because of the improbability of his presidency, can offer Nigeria an unexpected gift. A chance to do what no one expects: to walk away in dignity. To say, “I came, truly delivered on credible electoral reform. Who refused to be swallowed by the machinery that made him. Who broke the spell of sit-tightism that has haunted African democracies for decades.

This is not a decision for his inner circle or cabal. It is not a decision for the loyalists who see power as inheritance and opportunity to stuff their pockets and stomachs. This is a decision for a man alone with his conscience. A man who knows that the applause of today can become the curses of tomorrow.

   This was the opportunity that presented itself to President Buhari, but he failed to seize it. Today, he is remembered only as another failed past president. If Tinubu chooses the path of other African strongmen, to cling, scheme, suppress in order to force a second term, Nigeria may not survive him. The center is too fragile. The people too weary. The institutions too hollowed out. And the collapse, when, not if it comes, will not only be loud but irreversible.

  But, if he chooses the path of the statesman, he will become something rare in Nigerian history: a leader who left the stage before the curtain fell. A man who understood that sometimes, the most powerful act is to relinquish power.

Let him be the one who turned the tide. Let him be the one who proved that Nigeria is not doomed to repeat herself. Let him be the last of the old, and the first of the new.

Already, while many are scrambling for another term, Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki representing Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency, reportedly announced that he will not seek re-election in 2027. If true, it’s a quiet, but profound gesture. A signal. A whisper of change. And Tinubu should listen. Because, the people are watching. And they are ready.

 As for those urging him on, let them look across the fence and see Nepal. Look at the unfolding situation in Cameroon, Tanzania. Reports say Kenyans are also warming up. The signal is clear: Africans are tired of failed leadership and her young people are rising with resolve.

  2027 is not just an election year; it is either going to be a statesman’s exit or a nation’s fall. There are few choices for him in between. Already the polity is heating up and Nigerians increasingly appear to be seeking solutions beyond the ballot box.

• Dr Ezeh, a frontline entrepreneur, writes from Abuja