FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that he is ready to bow out of the 2027 presidential race if a younger candidate outshines him to secure the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket.
News Point Nigeria reports that Atiku made this known in an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, stressing that the ADC was deliberately prioritising youth and women, and that he would willingly support and mentor a younger aspirant if defeated.
“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,” Atiku said.
The former PDP presidential flagbearer, however, refused to confirm outright if he would be on the ballot in 2027.
“This is only the beginning. Our priority is to establish the party and gain a strong following,” he added.
Speaking further, Atiku explained his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had infiltrated the PDP with moles and deliberately stoked internal crises to weaken the opposition.
“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,” Atiku claimed.
He lamented that the PDP ignored his counsel during its leadership crises. “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 in those positions.
Sadly, the people occupying those positions have different interests that are primarily personal to them,” he stated.
Atiku assured that the ADC was consolidating its structures nationwide in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
“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,” he said.
On insinuations that he might later abandon the ADC, Atiku dismissed such claims, saying: “No, I’m not known for that. If I say so, then I’ll go that way. I’m a man of one Qibla.”
Atiku reaffirmed his commitment to building a credible opposition platform, promising that he would not hesitate to step aside for credible younger leaders if that would strengthen democracy.
