2027: Atiku Insists No ADC Aspirant Will Step Down, Says Tinubu Should Quit Race

2027: Atiku Insists No ADC Aspirant Will Step Down, Says Tinubu Should Quit Race

ABUJA — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed speculation surrounding the 2027 presidential election, declaring that no aspirant under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will be pressured to withdraw from the race.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku said all qualified contenders within the ADC presidential race are free to pursue their ambitions without intimidation, insisting that democracy thrives on competition, not coercion.

The clarification comes amid growing speculation that Atiku is being urged to step aside for a Southern presidential candidate as the ADC positions itself to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Rejecting the calls, Atiku argued that the individual who should step aside is President Tinubu, whom he described as a burden on the nation.

“For nearly three years, Nigerians have endured one of the harshest periods in recent history, marked by punishing economic policies and a shrinking democratic space under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement said.

Atiku accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration of deliberately weakening opposition parties and pushing Nigeria toward a one-party state through intimidation and misuse of state power.

“This administration has pursued a calculated effort to eliminate political alternatives. The objective is clear: a creeping, de facto one-party system,” he said.

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According to Atiku, the systematic erosion of opposition parties has left the APC dominant “by default, not by merit,” despite what he described as the ruling party’s poor performance in governance.

The former Vice President said these developments prompted concerned political leaders to rally around the ADC as a credible national alternative capable of rescuing Nigeria’s democracy.

He further alleged that individuals linked to the Presidency were interfering in the internal affairs of the ADC, particularly regarding the selection of its presidential candidate.

“Agents aligned with the Presidency are attempting to destabilise the ADC from the outside by issuing reckless prescriptions about its internal democratic processes,” the statement said.

Atiku stressed that calls for him to withdraw from the race are politically motivated and undermine democratic values.

“Any call—overt or covert—for Atiku Abubakar to step aside is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people,” he said.

He reaffirmed the ADC’s commitment to an open, transparent, and competitive process in choosing its flagbearer, warning that the party would not succumb to intimidation, blackmail, or sabotage.

The statement added that the ADC is currently focused on building strong grassroots structures across wards, local governments, and states nationwide, urging external actors to allow the party to carry out its work without interference.

Atiku also reiterated the party’s openness to opposition figures across the country, noting that inclusiveness, not coercion, remains the foundation of democracy.

He concluded by firmly ruling out any withdrawal from the race.

“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,” the statement said.

The former Vice President also referenced recent political developments within the ADC, including heightened reactions from the ruling party following Peter Obi’s public declaration of membership of the ADC in Enugu, which he said exposed the ruling party’s growing fear of the opposition.

2027: Atiku Insists No ADC Aspirant Will Step Down, Says Tinubu Should Quit Race