2027: No aspirant will step down, ADC Presidential race remain open – Atiku

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has declared that no aspirant will withdraw from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential race ahead of the 2027 general elections, dismissing reports that he is under pressure to step aside for a southern candidate.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to weaken and intimidate the opposition as preparations for the elections gather momentum.

He stated that all qualified aspirants within the ADC would be allowed to contest freely once the party begins its candidate selection process.

The former vice-president spoke against the backdrop of claims that he was being urged to withdraw from the race to allow a southern aspirant emerge as the party’s flagbearer.

According to the statement, opposition leaders converged under the ADC platform with the aim of building a credible national alternative to the ruling party.

“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 read.

“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.”

Atiku reaffirmed the party’s commitment to an open, transparent and competitive process in selecting its presidential candidate, stressing that the ADC remains inclusive and open to all genuine opposition figures.

He noted that “inclusiveness—not coercion—is the soul of democracy.”

‘Tinubu Should Step Aside, Not Me’

While insisting that no ADC aspirant would withdraw from the race, Atiku said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be the one to step aside, describing his leadership as a “national liability.”

“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,” he said.

He warned that attempts by what he described as “disruptors and infiltrators” to interfere in the party’s internal affairs would not succeed.

“At the appropriate time, the ADC will carry out its responsibility without intimidation or sabotage. Nigeria will not surrender its democracy without a fight,” he added.

Atiku lamented that Nigerians are currently experiencing severe hardship under what he described as punishing economic policies and shrinking democratic space under the Tinubu-led administration.

According to him, the federal government has pursued a deliberate strategy to weaken opposition parties, raising concerns about the emergence of a de facto one-party state.

“Perhaps the most disturbing feature of this administration has been the systematic erosion of opposition politics, leaving the APC standing alone—not by merit, but by default,” the statement concluded.

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