Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says he is ready to bow out of the 2027 presidential race if a younger aspirant emerges as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) flagbearer.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Atiku said his priority was to help build the party and mentor young leaders rather than insist on running again. Still, he did not rule out another bid.
“This is only the beginning. Our priority is to establish the party and gain a strong following,” he explained when asked if he would contest.
“If I run for office, and a young man defeats me, I will accept that. The party we have joined now prioritises youth and women,” Atiku added.
Among those reportedly eyeing the ADC ticket are Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi, both younger than Atiku, who will be 81 by the next election.
Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in July, accusing it of drifting away from its core principles and alleging that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had planted loyalists within its ranks.
“Besides, that is one of the reasons we set up ADC, which I am a member of,” he told BBC Hausa.
He accused the ruling APC of exploiting divisions in the PDP to weaken opposition voices.
READ ALSO: 2027: Atiku Should Step Aside, Only Obi Can Defeat Tinubu — LP
“The PDP is divided because the APC government in power has decided to use some party leaders to frustrate efforts of having a strong opposition that could challenge the government,” he said.
“As the day went by, the crises in PDP were growing, and the hope of resolving it was speedily vanishing because the government was allegedly using some senior members of the party to destabilise the party further, and we could see that in their actions and utterances,” Atiku added.
The former vice-president, who has contested for Nigeria’s top seat six times and appeared on the ballot three times, in 2007, 2019, and 2023, admitted he could have made stronger moves to fix the PDP if he had more influence in its leadership.
“I could have taken some firm decisions to fix the party if I were the chairman or secretary of the party, or someone who listened to me was the chairman or secretary.
“Sadly, the people occupying those positions have different interests that are primarily personal to them,” he said.
Looking ahead, Atiku stressed that the ADC is focused on building from the ground up.
“Regarding the ADC, our goal is to establish the party structures at the state level. We have already established the national leadership, and they are working on ensuring the state and local government structures are strengthened and ready for the 2027 elections,” he explained.
Now 78, Atiku says his focus is to strengthen the ADC into a competitive platform for 2027, even if it means passing the torch to a younger generation.