Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has reiterated his commitment to contest Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, vowing to lead efforts to rescue the country from what he described as its current state of “intensive care” under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking through his spokesman, Tunde Olusunle, Atiku dismissed speculation that he might opt out of the race and instead emphasized the growing momentum of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which he leads as part of a coalition of opposition heavyweights.
Atiku, who recently transitioned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ADC, described the coalition as a “potent mass movement” capable of upending the dominance of the APC and PDP.
He criticized the Tinubu administration for “mega-scale, unimpeded thievery” and a lack of accountability, calling on patriotic Nigerians to join the movement for change.
“The accompanying deceit, the loss of values, and the anguish must disturb every concerned patriot. I will offer myself to lead the reclamation and reconstruction of our traumatised homeland”, Olusunle quoted Atiku as saying during their discussions.
The ADC, which has attracted prominent figures like ex-Anambra Governor Peter Obi and former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi, is positioning itself as a viable third-force alternative ahead of the 2027 elections.
Both Obi and Amaechi have declared their intentions to compete for the ADC’s presidential ticket, setting the stage for an intense internal contest.
While Atiku touts his extensive experience, Obi has insisted he will not play a secondary role, and Amaechi has hinted at his own ambitions to lead the coalition.
However, a recent controversy emerged when Prof. Ola Olateju, who represented Atiku at a political event in Lagos, suggested that Atiku’s primary focus was not on becoming President but on building a better Nigeria.
Atiku swiftly disowned the statement, clarifying that it did not reflect his views.
“I did not issue that statement”, Atiku said from his holiday home in the UAE. “When people stand in for me at events, we preview my thoughts to ensure alignment. In this instance, there was no engagement with me to distill my thoughts. Prof. Olateju was not speaking for me.”
Atiku reiterated his determination to run, stating: “I will contest in 2027. Nigeria needs to be decisively rescued from the intensive care unit it has been consigned to. The level of poverty, pain, and anguish is unacceptable.”
His remarks come amid frequent attacks from the presidency, which has dismissed the ADC as a coalition that exists only on paper and lacks real electoral influence.
Despite this, Atiku insists the movement will “shock the world” and upstage the status quo in the next election.