Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has firmly rejected calls for him to step aside from the race for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket, accusing President Bola Tinubu of orchestrating a deliberate campaign to weaken the opposition and impose a creeping one-party state ahead of the 2027 general election.
Atiku made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, in response to speculations that he is under pressure to relinquish his ambition in favour of a southern candidate.
He urged Nigerians to resist what he described as sustained attempts by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate, infiltrate and destabilise the emerging opposition coalition rallying around the ADC.
The former Vice President’s remarks come amid growing political realignments within the opposition, following the recent defection of former Anambra State governor and ex–Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to the ADC. There have also been reports suggesting that Atiku may be considering a joint ticket arrangement with former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
However, Atiku dismissed any suggestion that he should withdraw from the race, insisting that such calls only serve the interests of President Tinubu and not the Nigerian people.
“For nearly three years, Nigerians have endured one of the harshest periods in recent history, marked by punishing economic policies and a shrinking democratic space under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
He accused the Tinubu administration of misgovernance and alleged that the Presidency was deliberately undermining opposition parties in order to secure an easy path to re-election.
According to him, the systematic weakening of opposition parties represents the administration’s most troubling legacy, leaving the APC dominant “by default, not by merit.”
Atiku said patriotic leaders, alarmed by the trend, rallied around the ADC as a credible national alternative, a move he claimed has triggered panic within the Presidency.
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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,” he stated.
Describing the ADC as being on a “national rescue mission,” Atiku declared that he remains central to that effort and warned that any attempt to force him out would amount to a betrayal of democracy.
“Any call- overt or covert- for Atiku Abubakar to step aside is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people,” he said.
He added that the ADC is committed to an open, transparent and competitive process in selecting its presidential flagbearer, stressing that intimidation, manipulation or sabotage would not be tolerated.
Atiku also referenced Peter Obi’s recent public declaration of ADC membership in Enugu, describing it as a development that exposed the ruling party’s fear of a united opposition. He alleged that the move prompted public boasts by government officials about plans to undermine the party.
Reiterating his stance, Atiku concluded that he would not step down from the 2027 race, insisting that if anyone should bow out, it should be President Tinubu, whom he described as a “national liability.”
