ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he will withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if a younger and widely acceptable candidate emerges within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), his new political platform.
Atiku made the remarks in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, as part of his engagements during Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day celebrations.
Atiku emphasised that his participation in the 2027 race should not discourage younger aspirants from joining.
“Being in the 2027 presidential race does not stop anyone from participating,” he said, urging young Nigerians to step forward and promising them his political support and mentorship.
He denied claims of desperation for the presidency, insisting his ambition was centred on “rescuing Nigeria from those who have held the country hostage.”
The former vice president explained his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), blaming the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for exploiting internal divisions within the opposition.
“We couldn’t achieve that with the PDP because the APC government in power has decided to use some leaders of the party to frustrate the efforts of having a strong opposition,” he said.
Atiku alleged that senior PDP members acted against the party’s interests and that his ability to intervene was limited because those occupying key leadership roles had “personal agendas.”
Turning to the ADC, Atiku said the priority was strengthening the party’s presence nationwide.
“Our goal is to establish the structures of the party at the state levels. We have already established the national leadership of the party, and they are working on ensuring the state and local government structures are strengthened and ready for 2027 elections,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary, Atiku said the country’s progress had fallen short of the aspirations of its founding fathers.
He challenged the federal government to “rise to the occasion” despite widespread scepticism about President Bola Tinubu’s capacity to revive the nation’s economy and politics.
Atiku strongly criticised Tinubu’s 2023 decision to fully remove fuel subsidies, which he blamed for worsening poverty.
“When I was vice president, we proposed that the fuel subsidy be removed in four phases, and we engaged relevant stakeholders, including the labour unions, all through the process,” he said.
“But President Tinubu’s decision to remove subsidy fully without plans to cushion the effect brought us this unprecedented pain, suffering and ultimately, poverty in this country. No country announces full subsidy removal once because it brings pain and poverty to the people.”
