Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that he is ready to step aside for a younger aspirant if he loses the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku made the statement during an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, stressing that his immediate priority is uniting the opposition under the ADC rather than personal ambition.
“This is only the beginning. Our priority is to establish the party and gain a strong following,” Atiku said.
“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.”
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections also dismissed speculations that he might “double-deal” between the ADC and the PDP.
“No, I’m not known for that. If I say I am going one way, I will go that way,” he stated.
Atiku, 78, resigned from the PDP in July 2025, citing irreconcilable differences and a deviation from the party’s founding principles. In a letter dated July 14, 2025, addressed to the chairman of his PDP Jada 1 Ward in Adamawa State, he announced his resignation with immediate effect.
“I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the Party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for,” Atiku wrote in the letter.
Since his defection, Atiku has been at the forefront of efforts to consolidate opposition forces within the ADC, holding strategic meetings with key political figures and stakeholders.
