Atiku Vows Not to Quit 2027 Race; Alleges Tinubu Plot to Sabotage ADC Ticket
Former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has declared that he will not withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest, accusing the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to “destabilize” the African Democratic Congress (ADC) from within.
In a scathing statement issued on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, titled “Nigeria’s Democracy Under Siege: Opposition Faces Existential Threat,” Atiku alleged that agents aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are meddling in the ADC’s internal affairs. The former Vice President, who recently aligned with the ADC as part of a broader opposition coalition, maintained that any call for him to “step aside” is a betrayal of the Nigerian people.
The race for the ADC ticket has become the focal point of a major opposition realignment with a recent exclusive report by POLITICS DIGEST about a pressure by power broker pushing the 2023 Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi to run with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of NNPC on a joint Presidential Ticket.
Political Digest confirms that three heavyweights have now converged on the party platform with Peter Obi recently formalizing his membership with the ADC, signaling a strategic shift to the party as a new opposition hub.
Read Also:
The former Minister of Transportation and APC chieftain, Rotimi Amaechi has also signaled his interest, advocating for a transparent primary process and vowing to resist electoral malpractice.
Despite calls for younger leadership, the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar insists his participation is vital to “rescuing” the country from what he describes as a de facto one-party state.
Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, stated that the Tinubu administration has pursued a “calculated effort to eliminate political alternatives” by systematically weakening opposition parties.
The statement characterized the ADC as the “nucleus of a credible national alternative” and warned external meddlers to stay out of the party’s primary process. Atiku noted that the recent declaration of ADC membership by Peter Obi in Enugu—the political heartbeat of the Southeast—triggered attempts by presidential aides to undermine the party.
Despite the friction, the ADC national leadership has assured all contenders—including the Obi and Amaechi camps—of its commitment to an open, transparent, and competitive presidential convention. Currently, the party is focused on building its structures at the ward, local government, and state levels across the federation. Atiku’s camp insists that the “inclusive soul of democracy” within the ADC will be the ultimate undoing of the APC’s alleged “authoritarian ambition,” promising that Nigeria will not surrender its democracy without a fight.
By PRNigeria
