Isaac Samuel
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has vowed to remain in the race for the 2027 presidential election, dismissing calls for him to withdraw as dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy.
Atiku made the declaration in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by his media aide, Paul Ibe.
In the statement titled “Nigeria’s Democracy Under Siege: Opposition Faces Existential Threat,” the former vice president accused the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of interfering in the process of selecting the ADC’s presidential candidate.
In addition to Atiku, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former APC presidential aspirant Rotimi Amaechi have also indicated interest in securing the ADC ticket.
Atiku further accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of plotting to impose a one-party state on the country, alleging that individuals aligned with the Presidency were working to destabilise the ADC.
“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 said.
The former vice president, however, noted that all aspirants seeking the ADC ticket would subject themselves to the party’s presidential convention, following assurances from the national leadership of its commitment to a transparent and competitive process.
According to the statement, “any call—overt or covert—for Atiku to step aside is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.”
The statement added that Nigerians had endured years of economic hardship and democratic decline under the Tinubu administration, accusing the government of deliberately weakening opposition parties to entrench APC dominance.
It said patriotic leaders rallied around the ADC as a credible alternative to what it described as the ruling party’s failures, stressing that the party was on a “national rescue mission.”
“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 statement noted.
He also warned that external actors had no right to intimidate or sabotage the party’s internal democratic processes.
Atiku insisted that when the time comes, all qualified aspirants would freely contest for the party’s ticket, stressing that he would not step down for anyone.
He said, “No one is stepping aside. If anyone should step aside, it is President Tinubu, whose leadership has become a national liability,” the statement 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.
“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.”
