2027 Presidency: Atiku declares he will not step down, sends message to Peter Obi

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has unequivocally declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, stating that he will not withdraw from the race for any other aspirant.

The declaration was made in a statement released on Tuesday by his media aide, Paul Ibe, amid growing speculation over opposition realignments ahead of the next general election.

Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in 2023, is now seeking the presidency under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

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In the statement titled “Nigeria’s Democracy Under Siege: Opposition Faces Existential Threat,” Atiku accused the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of interfering in the internal affairs of the ADC.

According to the statement, “agents aligned with the Presidency are now attempting to destabilize the ADC from the outside—issuing reckless prescriptions about its internal affairs, particularly the choice of a presidential candidate.”

The former Vice President alleged that the Tinubu administration is deliberately working to weaken opposition parties in a bid to establish a de facto one-party state in Nigeria.

Atiku is not the only prominent political figure reportedly linked with the ADC’s 2027 presidential ticket.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, a former APC presidential aspirant, have also been associated with the party.

Despite the growing interest, Atiku expressed confidence in the ADC’s leadership, noting that the party has committed to an open, transparent, and competitive presidential convention.

He stated that all qualified aspirants would be allowed to test their popularity through due process rather than backroom arrangements.

The statement strongly rejected suggestions that Atiku should step aside in the interest of opposition unity, describing such calls as undemocratic and dangerous.

“For nearly three years, Nigerians have endured one of the harshest periods in recent history—an era defined by punishing economic policies and shrinking democratic space under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.