Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that no presidential aspirant will be pressured to step down in the African Democratic Congress race ahead of the 2027 election, insisting that all contenders will be allowed to present themselves freely.
Atiku made the position known in a statement released on Tuesday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, amid growing speculation that he was being urged to withdraw from the contest to pave the way for a Southern candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
The former Vice President accused the All Progressives Congress of attempting to intimidate and weaken the opposition, calling on Nigerians to resist what he described as a deliberate effort to shrink democratic space and impose a one party dominance on the country.
He argued that the Tinubu administration had presided over one of the most difficult periods in recent Nigerian history, marked by severe economic hardship and policies that had deepened poverty and insecurity across the country. According to Atiku, the cumulative effect of these policies had turned the Presidency into a growing national liability.
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The statement accused the Federal Government of systematically undermining opposition parties, leaving the APC standing alone not by performance or public trust, but by default. It said concerned political leaders recognised the danger early and rallied around the ADC as a credible national platform capable of offering Nigerians an alternative.
Atiku warned that forces aligned with the Presidency were now seeking to destabilise the ADC by interfering in its internal affairs, particularly the process of choosing a presidential candidate. He described calls for him to step aside as reckless and dangerous, insisting they served only authoritarian interests and undermined democratic choice.
He said the ADC was committed to a transparent and competitive process that would allow all qualified aspirants to test their popularity without coercion or manipulation. He stressed that external actors had no moral or political right to dictate the party’s internal decisions.
According to the statement, the party is currently focused on strengthening its ward, local government, and state structures nationwide and would not be distracted by infiltration or sabotage. It reaffirmed that the ADC remained open to all genuine opposition figures and that inclusiveness, not intimidation, was the foundation of democracy.
Atiku also referenced the recent public declaration of ADC membership by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in Enugu, describing the development as a sign of growing momentum that had unsettled the ruling party. He claimed that public boasts by a serving minister and presidential aides about plans to undermine the ADC revealed fear within the APC.
He concluded that no ADC aspirant would be forced to step down and that if anyone should withdraw from the 2027 race, it should be President Tinubu, whose leadership he said had failed Nigerians. Atiku vowed that no level of pressure, intrigue, or intimidation would derail what he described as a national rescue mission, adding that Nigeria’s democracy would not be surrendered without resistance.
