Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being “nervous” due to the growing momentum of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the lead-up to the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, on Tuesday, Atiku dismissed reports of his political retirement as false, describing them as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at undermining the opposition.
“No amount of disinformation will halt this movement. The determination of Nigerians far outweighs the fear of those who have failed them,” Atiku said, urging his supporters to remain steadfast.
ADC Alleges Attempted Destabilisation
The opposition party accused the APC-led federal government of seeking to destabilise its leadership following the defection of Rabiu Kwankwaso to ADC.
ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that a March 28 letter from some Senior Advocates of Nigeria was being used to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into invalidating party actions and restructuring its leadership.
“They want INEC to invalidate party meetings, remove recognised officials, and hand over the affairs of the party to a specific individual, even though the case itself has not been fully decided by the courts,” the statement said.
ADC further clarified that Nafiu Bala Gombe, the individual cited in the letter, had resigned from the party and was later expelled, making any attempt to reinstate him to leadership positions fictitious.
Civil Society Warns Against “One-Party Control”
Nigeria Democratic Rights Advocacy (NDRA) also warned the APC against attempting to monopolise political space ahead of the 2027 elections.
NDRA Secretary-General, Julius Aondowase, alleged that the presidency was attempting to manipulate legal processes to remove ADC from the electoral contest.
“The decision to get the ADC off the ballot in the upcoming election was handed down to a Northern top politician in the presidency. It is the last joker by the ruling party to ensure control over all viable opposition parties ahead of the election next year,” Aondowase said.
The group emphasised that such attempts to compromise democracy would not be tolerated by Nigerians.
