Isaac Samuel
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he will step aside from the 2027 presidential race if a younger aspirant emerges as the flag bearer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Atiku, who disclosed this in an interview with BBC Hausa stated that he would not only accept the outcome but also support and mentor the candidate to succeed.
“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,” he said.
The former presidential candidate, however, noted that it was still too early to confirm whether he would contest again, emphasising that his immediate focus was on building the new party.
“This is only the beginning. Our priority is to establish the party and gain a strong following,” he said.
Dismissing speculations that he might dump the ADC ahead of the next general elections, Atiku described himself as a committed party man. “No, I’m not known for that. If I say so, then I’ll go that way,” he said, adding that he was “a man of one Qibla.”
On why he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) planted moles within the opposition to destabilise it and weaken its chances of challenging the government.
“The APC government in power has decided to use some party leaders to frustrate efforts to build a strong opposition capable of challenging it,” he claimed.
“As time went on, the crises in the PDP were growing, and the hope of resolving them was quickly fading because the government was allegedly using some senior members to destabilise the party further, which was evident in their actions and utterances,” he added.
Atiku lamented that his efforts to intervene decisively in the party’s internal crisis were frustrated because the leadership ignored his counsel.
“I could have taken some firm decisions to fix the party if I were the chairman or secretary, or if someone who listened to me held those positions. Sadly, those occupying them had interests that were primarily personal,” he said.
On the ADC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections, the former vice president said the party had concluded the formation of its national leadership and was now focused on strengthening structures at the state and local government levels.
“Regarding the ADC, our goal is to establish party structures at the state level. We have already established the national leadership, and they are working on ensuring that state and local government structures are strengthened and ready for the 2027 elections,” he added.
