Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest if a younger aspirant secures the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket ahead of him.
Atiku disclosed this in an interview with BBC Hausa published on Wednesday, where he also expressed readiness to support and mentor such a candidate.
When asked about his 2027 plans, Atiku said he could not yet confirm his candidacy.
“This is only the beginning. Our priority is to establish the party and gain a strong following,” he stated.
He further added, “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.”
Dismissing speculation that he might later abandon the ADC, Atiku responded, “No, I’m not known for that. If I say so, then I’ll go that way,” he said, stressing that he is “a man of one Qibla.”
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Speaking on his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the former presidential candidate alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had planted loyalists within the PDP.
“Besides, that is one of the reasons we set up ADC, which I am a member of,” he said.
According to him, the APC-led government was deliberately weakening opposition parties.
“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 claimed.
“As the day went by, the crises in PDP were growing, and the hope of resolving it was speedily vanishing because the government was allegedly using some senior members of the party to destabilise the party further, and we could see that in their actions and utterances,” Atiku added.
He noted that his inability to take firm action within the PDP stemmed from the refusal of party leaders to heed his advice.
“I could have taken some firm decisions to fix the party if I were the chairman or secretary of the party, 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 lamented.
On the ADC’s preparations for 2027, Atiku said the party had finalised its national structure and was working on strengthening state and local government organs.
“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 explained.
