Atiku: No Aspirant Will Step Down in ADC 2027 Presidential Race
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that no presidential aspirant will be pressured to step down in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting that all contenders will be given a level playing field to pursue their ambitions.
Atiku made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, where he urged Nigerians to resist what he described as deliberate attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate and weaken opposition parties.
His remarks come amid growing speculation that he is under pressure to step aside for a Southern candidate to emerge as the ADC’s flagbearer in the 2027 presidential contest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
However, Atiku dismissed such calls, arguing that if anyone should step down, it should be President Tinubu, whose administration he described as a “growing national liability.”
According to the statement, Nigerians have endured nearly three years of severe economic hardship and democratic decline under the Tinubu-led government, marked by harsh policies and a shrinking democratic space.
Atiku accused the APC-led administration of pursuing a calculated agenda to weaken opposition parties in a bid to impose what he termed a creeping one-party state, adding that the ruling party has survived more by default than by performance.
The former Vice President noted that patriotic leaders, alarmed by this trend, rallied around the ADC as a credible national alternative capable of rescuing Nigeria from its current challenges.
He further alleged that individuals aligned with the Presidency are now attempting to destabilise the ADC by interfering in its internal affairs, particularly on the issue of selecting a presidential candidate.
“Atiku Abubakar, alongside other committed patriots, remains central to this national rescue mission,” the statement said, warning that any call for him to step aside amounts to empowering authoritarian tendencies and betraying the Nigerian people.
Reaffirming the party’s stance, the statement stressed that the ADC is committed to an open, transparent, and competitive process in choosing its presidential flagbearer, insisting that no form of intimidation, manipulation, or sabotage will be tolerated.
The party, according to Atiku, is currently focused on strengthening its ward, local government, and state structures across the country and will not allow distractions from external forces.
He also described the ADC as inclusive and open to all genuine opposition figures, noting that inclusiveness—not coercion—remains the soul of democracy.
Atiku further referenced the recent public declaration of ADC membership by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in Enugu, describing the development as one that has unsettled the ruling party, leading to alleged plans by government officials to undermine the opposition.
Concluding, Atiku said the ADC is determined to end what he called the misfortunes imposed on Nigerians by the Tinubu-led APC, vowing that no amount of intimidation or sabotage will derail the party’s mission.
“Nigeria will not surrender its democracy without a fight,” the statement added.
