Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, has declared that he will not withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, dismissing calls for him to step aside as dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy.
Atiku made the declaration in a statement titled “Nigeria’s Democracy Under Siege: Opposition Faces Existential Threat,” issued on Tuesday and signed by his media aide, Paul Ibe.
In the statement, the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of interfering in the internal affairs of the ADC, particularly in attempts to influence the selection of the party’s presidential flagbearer.
He alleged that the Tinubu administration was working towards imposing a one-party system on Nigeria by weakening opposition parties and destabilising emerging alternatives.
Atiku maintained that agents aligned with the Presidency were now targeting the ADC from outside, issuing what he described as reckless prescriptions regarding the party’s leadership and candidate selection process.
Checks revealed that, alongside Atiku, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi have also declared interest in contesting the ADC presidential ticket.
The former Vice President said all aspirants would subject themselves to the party’s presidential convention, noting that the ADC leadership had assured contenders of an open, transparent, and competitive process.
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He warned that any call for him to step aside would amount to surrendering the country’s democratic space to authoritarian ambition, insisting that the ADC was formed as a national rescue platform to challenge what he described as APC’s failed governance.
Atiku also accused the Tinubu administration of pursuing harsh economic policies and shrinking democratic freedoms, arguing that these conditions had compelled opposition figures to rally around the ADC.
He added that the party was currently focused on building strong grassroots structures nationwide and cautioned against external interference aimed at sabotaging its internal processes.
Reaffirming his resolve, Atiku stressed that no aspirant would be forced out of the race, insisting that Nigeria’s democracy must be defended through open political competition.