2027: No Aspirant Will Step Down, Atiku Tells ADC Members
Former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar has said that no aspirant will withdraw from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential race ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Abubakar accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to intimidate and weaken the opposition ahead of next year’s polls.
He said all qualified aspirants would “present themselves freely” when the party begins its candidate selection process.
The former vice‑president spoke amid reports that he was under pressure to step down to allow a southern aspirant emerge as the ADC’s presidential flagbearer.
Abubakar said opposition leaders had rallied around the ADC to build 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.”
Abubakar stressed that the ADC remained committed to “an open, transparent, and competitive process” for selecting its flagbearer, adding that the party was open to all genuine opposition figures.
He said “inclusiveness—not coercion—is the soul of democracy.”
While reiterating that no aspirant would step down, Abubakar said President Bola Tinubu, whose leadership he described as a “national liability”, should be the one to step aside.
“Disruptors and infiltrators must allow the party to do this essential work without interference,” he said.
“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.”
“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.”
