Naija Politics has seen many things, but few spectacles are as persistent as Atiku Abubakar's quest for the presidency. The man has been running for president for over three decades now, and he shows no sign of stopping. At this point, one has to wonder: is this about serving Nigeria, or is it just about fulfilling a personal prophecy?

The latest controversy surrounding Atiku came from an unexpected source: former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose. In a scathing statement that has set social media ablaze, Fayose completely wrote off Atiku as a credible opposition figure, declaring Peter Obi as the only authentic opposition leader Nigeria has.

Now, this is significant for several reasons. First, Fayose is not just some random politician throwing shade. He was Atiku's party man in PDP. He worked with him, campaigned with him, and knows the inner workings of Atiku's political machinery. When someone like that publicly dismisses you, it's not just gossip—it's insider information.

So what does Fayose know that the rest of Nigeria should be worried about?

The answer might lie in Atiku's political history, which reads less like a public servant's resume and more like a desperate man's diary.

Atiku Abubakar has changed political parties more times than most Nigerians have changed their phone numbers. Let's count: he started with PDP, jumped to AC (Action Congress), went back to PDP, flirted with APC (even becoming a founding member), returned to PDP again, and now he's in ADC.

That's at least five party changes. Five different political platforms. Five different sets of "party values" that he supposedly believed in strongly enough to join, only to abandon when they didn't hand him the presidential ticket.

What does this tell us? It tells us that Atiku's loyalty is not to any ideology, not to any political philosophy, not to any party principles. His loyalty is to one thing and one thing only: his presidential ambition.

This brings us to the prophecy that former President Olusegun Obasanjo revealed in his book "My Watch." According to Obasanjo, Atiku was told by his dibia (traditional spiritualist) that he would become the President of Nigeria. And ever since receiving that prophecy, Atiku has made it his life's mission to fulfill it.

Think about that for a moment. A man's entire political career is driven not by a vision for Nigeria, not by policies he wants to implement, not by problems he wants to solve, but by a prophecy he wants to fulfill.

That's not leadership. That's obsession.

And this obsession has blinded Atiku to reality. He's now 78 years old and still running. He lost in 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. Five presidential elections, five losses. Most people would have gotten the message by now. But not Atiku. The prophecy must be fulfilled, you see.

But here's the real question that Naija Politics observers keep asking: Does Atiku really have something to offer Nigeria, or is he just trying to fulfill his personal ambition at all costs?

The evidence suggests the latter.

Remember the 2019 presidential debate? Atiku was asked what he would do about Nigeria's refineries, and his answer was shocking. He said he would sell them off to his friends and cronies. Not "privatize them through a transparent process." Not "reform them to make them efficient." No, he literally said he would sell them to his friends.

That one statement revealed everything you need to know about Atiku's mindset. Nigeria's national assets are things to be distributed to his friends. The presidency is a prize to be won so he can reward his loyalists. It's not about service; it's about power and patronage.

And now he's in ADC, making the same declarations he made in PDP. "No candidate will drop their ambition," he's saying, clearly referring to the fact that he will not step down for Peter Obi or anyone else. He wants the ticket, and he believes he deserves it because... well, because the prophecy says so.

But here's where it gets interesting. Will Atiku win the ADC primary the same way he dominated PDP primaries for years?

In PDP, Atiku had structures. He had money. He had delegates in his pocket. He had years of relationships and IOUs to cash in. He could manipulate the process because he understood it inside and out.

But ADC is different. ADC is not his party. He's a newcomer here, an outsider trying to take over. Peter Obi has massive grassroots support. Other candidates have their own followings. The delegates are not Atiku's people.

So how does he plan to win? The old-fashioned way, of course: money. Lots and lots of money. Atiku's strategy has always been to buy his way to the top, and there's no reason to believe he'll change that strategy now.

But will it work this time? That's the billion-naira question.

Fayose's statement suggests that many people within the opposition are tired of Atiku. They see him as old cargo, expired goods, a man whose time has passed but who refuses to accept reality. They want fresh leadership, new ideas, and someone who actually cares about Nigeria rather than just fulfilling a prophecy.

Peter Obi represents that fresh alternative. Whether you agree with his policies or not, at least he appears to be driven by a genuine desire to fix Nigeria's problems. He's not talking about selling national assets to his friends. He's not running because a dibia told him he would be president.

That's why Fayose called Obi the authentic opposition and dismissed Atiku. And given Fayose's insider knowledge from his PDP days, his assessment carries weight.

The tragedy of Atiku's story is that he might have actually been a good president if he had won 15 or 20 years ago when he was younger, sharper, and less desperate. But now, after decades of losing, after multiple party changes, after all the baggage and controversies, he's become a caricature of himself—a man chasing a prophecy instead of a vision.

Nigeria doesn't need a president who's trying to fulfill his destiny. Nigeria needs a president who's trying to fulfill Nigeria's destiny.

Atiku has said he won't step down for anyone in ADC. He's prepared to fight for the ticket just like he did in PDP. He believes it's his turn, his time, his prophecy finally coming true.

But maybe, just maybe, the prophecy was wrong. Or maybe the dibia forgot to mention that the prophecy came with an expiration date.

Will Atiku finally accept that his presidential dream is over?

Will he win the ADC primary despite being an outsider in the party?

Or will Peter Obi and others finally convince him that it's time to step aside and let a new generation take over?

The answers to these questions will shape the opposition's chances in 2027. But one thing is certain in Naija Politics: as long as Atiku Abubakar is breathing, he will be running for president. The prophecy must be fulfilled, even if Nigeria has to suffer through another election cycle of his obsession.

What do you think? Does Atiku deserve one more chance, or should he finally retire and let others lead? Drop your thoughts in the comments section!