By Comrade Ikhuenbor Felix Igbinevbo (Mr. Figo)
24 September 2026
Since I published my article, “Political Consciousness: Tinubu, Atiku and Obi — What Direction Does Nigeria Really Need?”, I have received several calls and messages questioning my position. Some believe the article was tilted in favour of Atiku. Others have asked why I am considering him while supporting ADC candidates in Edo State, and why, having supported Peter Obi in 2023, I would now be looking in another direction.
My answer is straightforward: political support is not a lifelong contract.
I supported Peter Obi in 2023 and gave that campaign my time, resources and energy. I have no reason to deny that decision, just as I am not bound to repeat it in 2027. Political circumstances change, and citizens have the right to reassess their choices as new issues emerge.
The same principle applies to political parties. I have chosen not to belong to any political party. At one point, I intended to support, and began supporting, the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. However, as I examined developments more closely, I came to the conclusion that, in my assessment, the APC does not have anything sufficiently meaningful to offer the people of Edo South. That informed my decision to look beyond the party and consider candidates on their individual merits.
In Edo State, I am supporting Hon. Matthew Aigbuhenze Iduoriyekemwen for Edo South Senatorial District and the ADC candidate for Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency. My support for them is based on my independent assessment of the candidates and does not make me an ADC member.
My initial intention was to concentrate on those candidates and leave the presidential question aside. As the 2027 political conversation has evolved, however, I have begun to give serious consideration to Atiku Abubakar.
I supported Atiku in 2019. I did not support him in 2023 for a specific political reason. President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, was leaving office, and at the time I believed it would not be appropriate for another northerner to immediately succeed him. That was the basis of my decision. It had nothing to do with Atiku being Hausa-Fulani or Muslim.
There is another point I believe should not be lost in the present conversation. Peter Obi, whom I supported in 2023, was Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election. In 2007, Atiku also contested the presidency on the platform of the Action Congress, where Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a prominent political figure. These are important points to remember when questions are raised today about Atiku’s competence or credibility. If Atiku was considered capable enough to lead a presidential ticket with Peter Obi as his running mate in 2019, and was given the presidential platform of the Action Congress in 2007, it is reasonable to ask what has fundamentally changed in the assessment of him today.
I also find it necessary to address the attempt to connect Atiku’s Hausa-Fulani identity with the actions of criminal elements often described as Fulani killer herdsmen. I have lived in Northern Nigeria and have longstanding Hausa-Fulani friends whom I have known and trusted for years. My family still lives in Sokoto. I therefore reject the tendency to attach criminality to an entire ethnic group. Criminals should be judged by their actions, not by the communities from which they come. Banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other forms of criminality have no tribe.
One of the issues I am considering is Atiku’s proposal for the return of fuel subsidy, particularly his production-subsidy approach for locally refined petrol.
Beyond that, I am examining the broader issues before the country and listening to people whose views I value. I have friends, followers and stakeholders across Edo State and other parts of the country, and I want to hear their perspectives before reaching a final decision.
My previous article was intended to open a serious conversation about the choices before Nigerians, not to announce a decision I had already made.
When I reach a conclusion, I will state it openly and take responsibility for it. Until then, I remain an independent Nigerian, free to listen, reconsider and make my political choice based on my present assessment.
#MrFigoSpeaks
Comrade Ikhuenbor Felix Igbinevbo (Mr. Figo)
Leader, Team Figo-Connect
+2348063085664
