Atiku alleges fresh plot to stop ADC from 2027 poll

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Monday alleged that there is a new plan to stop the ADC from participating in the 2027 general election.

He said he received information suggesting that some individuals within the ruling establishment are working through political and legal means to keep the opposition party off the ballot.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku claimed the alleged move is part of a broader effort to weaken the opposition and deny Nigerians the opportunity to freely choose their next president.

He said the ADC has become the main target because it is gaining support as a strong alternative ahead of the next general election. According to him, attempts to block the party from contesting would damage Nigeria’s democratic process.

Atiku urged Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, to reject any effort aimed at deciding which opposition parties should participate in elections. He questioned why the ruling party would be worried about the ADC if it was confident of its popularity among voters.

The former vice president said he hoped the alleged plan would not succeed but noted that recent political developments had made such concerns difficult to ignore. He claimed there had been a pattern where institutions expected to remain neutral became involved in political disputes, while legal actions, administrative measures and political pressure were allegedly used against opposition figures.

He also accused the ruling party of placing more attention on political battles than addressing issues affecting Nigerians, including insecurity, unemployment, inflation and the rising cost of living.

Atiku insisted that the growing acceptance of the ADC should be challenged through democratic competition rather than legal or administrative actions. He maintained that elections should be decided by voters at the polls and not through court cases or the use of state institutions.

He warned that excluding the ADC from the electoral process would be one of the biggest threats to Nigeria’s constitutional democracy since the country returned to civilian rule in 1999.

The ADC presidential candidate also appealed to the judiciary to remain independent and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, civil society groups and the international community to closely monitor any action that could affect the credibility of the electoral process.

According to him, no government has the constitutional authority to determine which political party Nigerians should vote for, adding that public support for the ADC cannot be weakened through intimidation or political pressure.

The statement comes as political alliances continue to take shape ahead of the 2027 general election, with Atiku and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi adopting the ADC as the platform for an opposition coalition seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress.

As of the time the statement was released, the Presidency, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission had not responded to Atiku’s allegations.