Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar claims no candidate would withdraw from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidacy before the 2027 polls.
In a statement released on Tuesday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Abubakar accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of aiming to intimidate and cripple the opposition ahead of next year’s elections.
He stated that when the party begins its selection process, all competent applicants would “present themselves freely”.
The former vice president spoke amid accusations that he was being pressured to stand aside in order for a southern contender to become the ADC’s flagbearer.
According to Atiku, opposition figures coalesced around the ADC to provide a genuine national alternative to the governing 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 reads.
“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 emphasised that the ADC was still committed to “an open, transparent, and competitive process” for picking its flagbearer.
He stated that the party welcomes all real opposition leaders, emphasising that “inclusiveness—not coercion—is the soul of democracy”.
While repeating that no one in the party would step down, Abubakar suggested that President Tinubu, whose leadership he described as a “national liability,” should stand down.
“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.”
He lamented that Nigerians are suffering in “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 also pursued a calculated effort to eliminate political alternatives. The objective is clear: a creeping, de facto one-party state,” he added.
“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.”
