Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed his willingness to shelve his presidential ambition for the 2027 general election if a younger and widely acceptable candidate emerges under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). In an interview with BBC Hausa Service, Atiku stated, “My being in the 2027 race does not prevent anyone from contesting. If a vibrant and widely accepted younger candidate emerges, I am willing to step aside.”
Atiku emphasized that his interest in the 2027 presidential race is not driven by personal ambition but by a desire to provide a credible alternative to address the country’s current challenges. He encouraged younger Nigerians to actively participate in politics and assured them of his full support should they choose to run for the highest office.
The former vice president explained his decision to align with the ADC as a response to internal crises within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and alleged interference by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He claimed some PDP leaders were influenced by the APC to create divisions, saying, “We couldn’t achieve our objectives in the PDP because some leaders were being influenced by the APC to frustrate the opposition.”
Atiku revealed that the ADC has established its national leadership and is now focused on building strong state and local government structures ahead of the 2027 elections. “Our plan is to ensure the ADC has solid structures at every level, so we can be fully prepared for the elections,” he stated.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s progress since independence, Atiku acknowledged some changes but noted that the country remains far from the vision of its founding fathers. “Nigeria has experienced changes, but they are not the kind of progress our founding fathers envisioned. There’s still a lot of work to be done,” he said.
