"I'm Ready to Step Aside": Atiku Makes Big Announcement about Presidential Ambition

• Atiku Abubakar says he is willing to step aside for a younger aspirant if he loses the ADC presidential primary ahead of the 2027 elections
• The former PDP presidential candidate insists his priority is building the ADC and uniting the opposition, not immediate confirmation of his candidacy
• Atiku left the PDP in July 2025, citing irreconcilable differences and a shift away from the party’s founding principles

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that he would step aside for a younger aspirant if he loses the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Atiku makes big announcement

In an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, Atiku explained that his immediate focus is on strengthening the ADC rather than making a definite statement about contesting.

He said uniting the opposition under the new platform is more important at this stage.

“This is only the beginning. Our priority is to establish the party and gain a strong following. 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,” he said.

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The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections also rejected suggestions that he might be positioning himself between the ADC and his former party.

He insisted that he would not return to the PDP, stating, “No, I’m not known for that. If I say I am going one way, I will go that way.”

Atiku ditches PDP for ADC

Atiku’s remarks follow his resignation from the PDP in July 2025 after decades of membership. His exit was conveyed in a letter addressed to the Chairman of PDP Jada 1 Ward in Adamawa State.

In the letter dated July 14, 2025, Atiku cited irreconcilable differences and a shift in the party’s principles as reasons for his decision.

“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. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged,” he wrote.

The 78-year-old politician has contested several presidential elections and remains one of the most prominent figures in Nigeria’s opposition politics. His latest move to the ADC signals an effort to build an alternative coalition ahead of the next general elections.

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Shehu mentions implications of Atiku's PDP exit

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that controversial critic Mahdi Shehu on Wednesday, July 16, asserted that "there is a great lesson for people to learn" from the resignation of Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Reacting to Atiku's exit from the PDP, Shehu said, 'by resigning to join the league of his several sworn foes, detractors and enemies, means Atiku is yet to learn political survival instincts.'

According to him, "I would rather remain within than just fizzle away to an uncertain destination."

Source: Legit.ng