Atiku Abubakar, former Vice-President, says he would withdraw from the 2027 presidential race if either Peter Obi, former Labour Party candidate, or Rotimi Amaechi, former Rivers State governor, defeats him to clinch the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ticket.
Atiku who spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa published on Wednesday, explained that he would not hesitate to support and mentor a younger aspirant if they emerge victorious, noting that the ADC places a strong emphasis on youth and women participation.
“This is only the beginning. Our priority is to establish the party and gain a strong following,” Abubakar said when asked if he would contest. “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.”
Obi and Amaechi have both shown interest in the ADC ticket ahead of the 2027 elections. Both are younger than Atiku, who is currently 78 and would be 81 by the next presidential contest.
Abubakar resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in July, accusing it of abandoning its founding ideals and alleging infiltration by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Besides, that is one of the reasons we set up ADC, which I am a member of,” he said.
According to him, the PDP has remained divided because the APC government allegedly deployed some of its leaders to frustrate efforts to build a strong opposition.
“As the day went by, the crises in PDP were growing, and the hope of resolving it was speedily vanishing because the government was allegedly using some senior members of the party to destabilise the party further,” he said.
Abubakar lamented that he could have taken firmer decisions to fix the PDP if the chairman or secretary were aligned with him, but that those in leadership pursued personal interests instead.
On his new platform, the ADC, Abubakar said the immediate task is to consolidate its national leadership and build structures at state and local levels ahead of 2027.
Abubakar has run for president six times, appearing on the ballot as a candidate in 2007, 2019, and 2023.
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