Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has confirmed that he will contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), vowing that the coalition will challenge the dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku, who made his position known through one of his former aides, Tunde Olusunle, told THISDAY on Sunday that the ADC, which has recently attracted prominent politicians, is building a mass movement that will surprise many in the next general election.
“The accompanying deceit, the loss of values, the mega-scale thievery and lack of accountability must disturb every concerned patriot. I will be offering myself to lead the reclamation and reconstruction of our traumatised homeland,” Olusunle quoted him as saying after a meeting.
He dismissed insinuations that he might not run in 2027, stressing that his commitment to Nigeria’s recovery outweighed any doubts about his candidacy. “I will run in 2027. Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the intensive care unit it has been consigned. The degeneration in our country, the level of poverty and pain, the anguish, is unacceptable,” he declared.
Atiku also disowned remarks credited to Prof. Ola Olateju of Achievers University, who represented him at a recent ADC event in Lagos, suggesting he was not desperate to be president. According to him, the comments were not sanctioned by him and did not reflect his position.
Apart from Atiku, other top opposition figures including former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and ex-Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi have also expressed interest in contesting for the ADC’s presidential ticket. While Atiku has projected himself as the most experienced contender, Obi has insisted he will not play a secondary role, and Amaechi has hinted at his ambition to enter the race.
The presidency has repeatedly dismissed the ADC coalition as weak and inconsequential, but Atiku maintained that the party is mobilising Nigerians to upstage the status quo.
“ADC is leading a potent mass movement which will shock the world. We will upstage the status quo in a way which will leave doubters dumbstruck,” he said.
