Atiku Says He’ll Accept Defeat If Younger Aspirant Wins ADC Presidential Ticket

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has said he would step aside from the 2027 presidential race if a younger aspirant defeats him in the contest for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ticket.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, Atiku explained that if a young politician emerged as the party’s flag bearer, he would not only accept the outcome but also give his full support and mentorship.

However, the former vice-president  noted that it was still too early to confirm whether he would be contesting again.

“This is only the beginning. Our priority is to establish the party and gain a strong following,” Abubakar said when asked if he would contest.

“If I run for office, and a young man defeats me, I will accept that. The party we have joined now prioritises youth and women,” he said.

Some of the names being linked to the ADC ticket include Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers State. Both are younger than Atiku.

Atiku left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in July, accusing it of abandoning its founding principles.

Speaking with BBC Hausa, Atiku claimed that elements loyal to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had infiltrated the PDP and were being used to weaken the opposition.

“Besides, that is one of the reasons we set up ADC, which I am a member of,” he said.

Abubakar said the PDP is divided “because the APC government in power has decided to use some party leaders to frustrate efforts of having a strong opposition that could challenge the government”.

“As the day went by, the crises in PDP were growing, and the hope of resolving it was speedily vanishing because the government was allegedly using some senior members of the party to destabilise the party further, and we could see that in their actions and utterances,” he said.

“I could have taken some firm decisions to fix the party if I were the chairman or secretary of the party, or someone who listened to me was the chairman or secretary. Sadly, the people occupying those positions have different interests that are primarily personal to them.

“Regarding the ADC, our goal is to establish the party structures at the state level. We have already established the national leadership, and they are working on ensuring the state and local government structures are strengthened and ready for the 2027 elections.”

Atiku Abubakar, who is currently 78, was the PDP’s candidate in the 2023 presidential election. By the time Nigerians head to the polls again in 2027, he will be 81.

Over the years, he has contested for the presidency six times, appearing on the ballot three times — in 2007, 2019, and 2023.

KanyiDaily recalls that Atiku Abubakar recently attended a meeting of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition leaders in Abuja.