2027: Atiku Rejects Calls to Step Aside, Accuses Tinubu Administration of Undermining Opposition

2027: Atiku Rejects Calls to Step Aside, Accuses Tinubu Administration of Undermining Opposition

Kingsley Ohens reporting For Urbanscoopnews

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has firmly rejected calls for him to “step aside” ahead of the 2027 presidential election, describing such demands as an assault on democratic choice and a strategy to advance authoritarian rule in Nigeria.

In a statement issued by his media office and signed by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, Atiku said the calls were part of a broader effort by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to weaken opposition parties and narrow Nigeria’s democratic space.

According to Atiku, the Tinubu-led government has presided over widespread economic hardship while simultaneously pursuing what he described as a calculated agenda to eliminate viable political alternatives.

“The objective is clear: a creeping, de facto one-party state,” the statement read. “Perhaps the Tinubu administration’s most disturbing ‘achievement’ has been the systematic weakening of opposition parties, leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC)—despite its manifest failures—standing alone by default, not by merit.”

Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, said concerned political leaders had anticipated this trend and responded by rallying around the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a platform for building a credible national opposition.

He accused individuals aligned with the Presidency of attempting to destabilize the ADC, particularly by interfering in discussions around the party’s future presidential ticket.

“Predictably, 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 statement said.

Atiku maintained that he remains central to what he described as a “national rescue mission” being championed by the ADC, stressing that any suggestion that he should withdraw from the race undermines democratic competition.

“Any call—overt or covert—for Atiku to ‘step aside’ is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people,” he said.

The former vice president emphasized that the ADC is committed to an open, transparent, and competitive process for selecting its flagbearer, adding that no external forces have the authority to dictate outcomes within the party.

“The ADC has consistently affirmed its commitment to an open, transparent, and competitive process for selecting its flagbearer. APC proxies and external meddlers have no standing to intimidate, blackmail, or sabotage this democratic resolve,” the statement noted.

Atiku also said the party’s immediate focus is on grassroots organization, including strengthening ward, local government, and state-level structures across the country. He warned against the activities of what he termed “disruptors and infiltrators,” urging them to allow the party to carry out its organizational work without interference.

Reaffirming the ADC’s openness to opposition figures, Atiku described inclusiveness as a core democratic value, insisting that all qualified aspirants would be free to contest when the time comes.

“No one is stepping down,” he said. “If anyone should step aside, it is President Tinubu—whose leadership has become a national liability.”

The statement also referenced the recent public declaration of ADC membership by Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, in Enugu. Atiku claimed that Obi’s move triggered “open boasts” by a serving minister and presidential aides about plans to undermine the ADC, a development he said reflected growing fear within the ruling party.

“Let there be no ambiguity: the ADC is determined to end the misfortune imposed by the Tinubu-led APC,” the statement concluded. “No amount of intimidation, intrigue, or sabotage will derail this rescue mission.”

As political realignments continue ahead of 2027, Atiku’s remarks underscore intensifying tensions between the ruling APC and emerging opposition coalitions positioning themselves for the next general election.