Atiku Outlines Conditions for Withdrawing from 2027 Presidential Race

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed the circumstances under which he may opt out of the 2027 presidential election.

In a recent interview with BBC Hausa Service, Atiku—who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election—stated that he would consider stepping aside if a younger, dynamic, and widely accepted candidate emerges under the banner of his new party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Atiku emphasized that his interest in the 2027 race is not driven by desperation for power but by a desire to help rescue Nigeria from what he described as poor leadership.

“Participation in the race doesn’t exclude others,” he said. “I’m not desperate to be president. My motivation is to contribute to saving the country from those who have hijacked it.”

Explaining his move to the ADC, Atiku said the party was formed as an alternative platform after repeated efforts to reform the PDP were undermined.

“One of the main reasons we created the ADC is because we couldn’t realize our vision within the PDP,” he noted. “The ruling APC used some PDP leaders to sabotage efforts to build a strong opposition.”

He said internal crises within the PDP continued to deepen, with little hope of resolution, accusing some top members of working against the party’s unity, allegedly at the behest of the government.

“I could have taken steps to resolve the issues if I had been the party’s chairman or secretary, or if those in those positions were aligned with my views,” Atiku explained. “Unfortunately, their priorities were mostly self-serving.”

On the future of the ADC, Atiku said efforts are underway to build party structures across the states. The national leadership is already in place, he said, and work is ongoing to strengthen the party at the state and local government levels in preparation for the 2027 elections.