Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he will step aside from the 2027 presidential contest if a younger aspirant defeats him to clinch the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ticket.
Atiku made the disclosure in an interview with BBC Hausa published on Wednesday, stressing that his priority was to help build the ADC into a formidable force rather than insist on his personal ambition.
“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,” Atiku said.
He also declared his readiness to mentor any younger candidate who emerges as flagbearer of the ADC ahead of the 2027 polls.
The former PDP presidential candidate, however, declined to confirm whether he would definitely contest, saying: “This is only the beginning. Our priority is to establish the party and gain a strong following.”
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Dismissing claims that he might later dump the ADC, Atiku insisted he was “a man of one Qibla,” stressing that he would not renege on his decision to stand with the party.
On his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) deliberately infiltrated the opposition party with moles to destabilise it.
“The APC government in power has decided to use some party leaders to frustrate efforts of having a strong opposition that could challenge the government,” he said.
He lamented that the PDP crisis worsened because party leaders disregarded his advice, leaving him unable to intervene effectively.
“I could have taken some firm decisions to fix the party if I were the chairman or secretary, or someone who listened to me was the chairman or secretary. Sadly, the people occupying those positions have different interests that are primarily personal to them,” he said.
On the ADC’s readiness for 2027, Atiku revealed that while the party has already established its national leadership, focus is now on strengthening state and local government structures to position the ADC as a credible alternative in the next elections.
“Regarding the ADC, our goal is to establish the party structures at the state level. We have already established the national leadership, and they are working on ensuring the state and local government structures are strengthened and ready for the 2027 elections,” he said.
