Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has firmly declared that no aspirant will be compelled to step down in the African Democratic Congress presidential race ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that all candidates will present themselves freely in what he described as an open and transparent selection process.
Atiku, in a strongly worded statement released on Tuesday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, called on Nigerians to resist what he characterised as orchestrated efforts by the All Progressives Congress to intimidate and systematically weaken opposition parties across the country.
The former Vice President’s intervention comes amid mounting speculation that he is facing intense pressure to withdraw from the presidential race in favour of a Southern candidate, as the ADC seeks to present a united front against President Bola Tinubu’s expected re-election bid in 2027.
However, Atiku turned the tables on those calling for his withdrawal, arguing that if anyone should step aside, it is President Tinubu himself, whose leadership he described as a growing national liability that has inflicted widespread hardship on Nigerians.
“For nearly three years, Nigerians have endured one of the harshest periods in recent history, an era defined by punishing economic policies and shrinking democratic space under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.
“True to form, this administration has not only inflicted widespread hardship but has pursued a calculated effort to eliminate political alternatives. The objective is clear: a creeping, de facto one-party state.”
Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of systematically weakening opposition parties, leaving the APC standing alone “by default, not by merit” despite what he termed its manifest failures in governance. He suggested that the ruling party’s continued dominance stems not from popular support or effective leadership, but from a deliberate strategy to eliminate credible political alternatives.
“Perhaps the Tinubu administration’s most disturbing achievement has been the systematic weakening of opposition parties, leaving the All Progressives Congress—despite its manifest failures—standing alone by default, not by merit,” the statement continued.
The former Vice President praised what he described as patriotic leaders who recognised this danger early and chose resistance over silence by rallying around the African Democratic Congress as the foundation of a credible national alternative to the current administration.
Atiku specifically warned against what he called external interference in the ADC’s internal affairs, accusing agents aligned with the Presidency of attempting to destabilise the party from outside by issuing what he termed “reckless prescriptions” about its internal processes, particularly concerning the selection of a presidential candidate.
“Predictably, agents aligned with the Presidency are now attempting to destabilise the ADC from the outside, issuing reckless prescriptions about its internal affairs, particularly the choice of a presidential candidate,” the statement said.
“Let it be stated plainly: the ADC is on a national rescue mission. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, alongside other committed patriots, is central to this effort. Any call—overt or covert—for Atiku to step aside is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.”
The Turakin Adamawa emphasised the ADC’s commitment to ending what he described as the misfortunes brought about by the Tinubu-led APC administration, stressing that no form of intimidation, manipulation, or sabotage would derail what he termed the party’s rescue mission for Nigeria.
“The ADC has consistently affirmed its commitment to an open, transparent, and competitive process for selecting its flagbearer. APC proxies and external meddlers have no standing to intimidate, blackmail, or sabotage this democratic resolve,” the statement declared.
Atiku revealed that the ADC is currently focused on building robust organisational structures at the ward, local government, and state levels nationwide, and called on disruptors and infiltrators to allow the party to complete this essential groundwork without interference.
The former Vice President stressed that the party remains open and welcoming to all genuine opposition figures, describing this inclusiveness rather than coercion as the soul of democracy and a fundamental principle guiding the ADC’s operations.
“The party remains open and welcoming to all genuine opposition figures. This inclusiveness—not coercion—is the soul of democracy,” the statement noted. “When the time comes, all qualified aspirants will present themselves freely. No one is stepping down. If anyone should step aside, it is President Tinubu—whose leadership has become a national liability.”
Atiku’s statement also referenced the recent public declaration of ADC membership by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in Enugu, which he described as the political heartbeat of the Southeast. He claimed that Obi’s defection triggered what he called “open boasts” by a serving minister and presidential aides about plans to undermine the party, interpreting this as evidence of the administration’s fear of a united opposition.
“The recent public declaration of ADC membership by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in Enugu, the political heartbeat of the Southeast, triggered open boasts by a serving minister and presidential aides about plans to undermine the party. Their fear is evident,” Atiku said.
The statement concluded with a defiant message to those he accused of seeking to derail the opposition’s efforts, declaring that the ADC is determined to end what it views as the misfortune imposed by the Tinubu-led APC administration.
“Let there be no ambiguity: the ADC is determined to end the misfortune imposed by the Tinubu-led APC. No amount of intimidation, intrigue, or sabotage will derail this rescue mission. Nigeria will not surrender its democracy without a fight,” the statement concluded.
The ADC emerged as a significant force in Nigeria’s opposition politics following what many observers have described as the fragmentation of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party after its defeat in the 2023 presidential election. The party has attracted several high-profile defections from both the PDP and the Labour Party, positioning itself as a potential vehicle for mounting a credible challenge to the APC’s continued dominance.
Atiku Abubakar, who has contested the presidency multiple times since 1993, lost the 2023 election to President Tinubu of the APC, finishing second in a keenly contested race that also featured Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party. The election’s outcome remains disputed in some quarters, with opposition parties challenging various aspects of the electoral process.
The question of zoning and regional rotation of power has remained a contentious issue in Nigerian politics since the return to democracy in 1999. Atiku, a Northerner, faced criticism during the 2023 election cycle from those who argued that power should remain in the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years in office. President Tinubu, a Southerner from Lagos State, ultimately won that election.
