Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has issued a stark warning about what he describes as a coordinated campaign by elements within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) establishment to sideline his party from the 2027 general elections through legal and political maneuvers.
In a statement released yesterday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku raised the alarm over “credible information” indicating renewed efforts to exclude the ADC from the ballot. He framed these moves as part of a broader pattern of institutional pressure aimed at weakening opposition platforms.
The ADC has emerged as a key opposition platform following realignments after the 2023 elections.
Atiku, who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), secured the party’s presidential ticket in May 2026 after a contentious primary process that saw him defeat figures including former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Amaechi was later named his running mate, forming what the party described as a “unity and rescue ticket”.
The party positioned itself as a broad coalition drawing support from disillusioned politicians across PDP, Labour Party (LP), and other groups, with ambitions to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. However, internal fractures have been evident, including the exit of Peter Obi, who later aligned with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Atiku’s latest warning builds on earlier condemnations of a Federal High Court judgment in mid-June 2026 that ordered the deregistration of the ADC and several other opposition parties. He and his allies described the ruling as delivered in violation of a Court of Appeal stay of proceedings, calling it “judicial rascality” and an assault on multiparty democracy.
In his statement, Atiku alleged a familiar playbook: frivolous litigations gaining unusual traction, selective deployment of administrative powers, and political pressure on neutral institutions. “We are fully aware of their plots”, he said. “While they seek to sow confusion within the opposition, we know their real target is the ADC because it represents the most credible alternative”.
He questioned the APC’s confidence: “If the All Progressives Congress (APC) is truly confident in its popularity, why is it so terrified of the ADC?”
