Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has announced that he is willing to step down from the 2027 presidential race if his political party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), can produce a “younger, vibrant and acceptable candidate” for the election.
Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in 2023, made the promise in an interview with the BBC Hausa service on Wednesday during Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day celebrations.
Atiku stated that his intention to run in 2027 should not stop anyone, especially youths, from joining the race.
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He assured that he has been encouraging Nigerian youths to “join the race to rescue Nigeria” and promised to give them his “maximum support” and guidance toward success.
He stressed that he was not desperate to become Nigeria’s President, but was only interested in “rescuing Nigeria from the people that have held the country hostage.”
The veteran politician declared: “If the ADC can present a young, vibrant and acceptable candidate for the 2027 election, I am willing to step down for such an individual.”
Atiku explained that this youth focus is a core reason for the formation of the ADC, noting: “Besides, that is one of the reasons we set up ADC, which i am a member.”
He suggested that this goal was unattainable within the PDP due to internal sabotage, stating that the current government “has decided to use some leaders of the party to frustrate the efforts of having a strong opposition that could challenge the government.”
He claimed the PDP crises were growing and the hope to resolve it “was speedily vanishing because some senior members of the party were allegedly being used by the government to further destabilize the party.”
Atiku lamented his lack of control in the PDP: “I could have taken some firm decisions to fix the party if I was the Chairman or Secretary of the party, or someone that listens to me was the Chairman or secretary. Sadly, the people occupying that positions have different interests that are mostly personal to them.”
Regarding the ADC, he concluded: “our goal is to establish the structures of the party at the state levels… and they are working on ensuring the state and local government structures are strengthened and ready for 2027 elections.”
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