Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has rejected suggestions that any contender should withdraw from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential contest ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting the party’s ticket will not be settled through pressure or backroom arrangements.
His position was contained in a statement released on Tuesday, January 6, by his media adviser, Paul Ibe. In it,
Atiku urged Nigerians to push back against what he described as efforts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate and weaken opposition parties.
The statement comes amid talk that Atiku is being urged to step aside so a Southern candidate can emerge as the ADC’s presidential flagbearer against President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku’s camp said the focus should be on an open contest, adding that if anyone should step down, it should be Tinubu, whom the statement described as a growing national liability.
The statement read in part, “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.
“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.
“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.
“Thankfully, patriotic leaders saw this danger early and chose resistance over silence by rallying around the African Democratic Congress as the nucleus of a credible national alternative.
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“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.
“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’s camp also said the ADC will not allow intimidation, manipulation, or sabotage to derail its plans, stressing that the party’s choice of candidate will be made through an open process.
It continued, “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.
“At present, the ADC is focused on building strong ward, local government, and state structures nationwide. Disruptors and infiltrators must allow the party to do this essential work without interference.
“The party remains open and welcoming to all genuine opposition figures. This inclusiveness—not coercion is the soul of democracy.
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 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.
“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.”