Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said he would step aside from the 2027 presidential race if a younger, more vibrant, and widely acceptable candidate emerges under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday, October 1, Atiku explained that his interest in the race is not driven by personal ambition but by the desire to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative.
He urged young Nigerians to get more involved in politics, assuring that he would fully support them if chosen to contest for the presidency.
Dismissing claims that he is desperate to become president, Atiku maintained that his focus is on “rescuing Nigeria from those who have held it hostage.”
He added:
“Besides, that is one of the reasons we set up ADC, which I am a member of. We couldn’t achieve that with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because the APC-led government has used some PDP leaders to frustrate efforts at building a strong opposition.
“As time went on, the crises within the PDP deepened, and hopes of resolving them quickly faded, as some senior members allegedly influenced by the government continued to destabilise the party through their actions and statements.
“I could have taken decisive steps to fix the PDP if I had been chairman or secretary of the party, or if someone close to me held those positions. Unfortunately, those currently occupying them have interests that are largely personal.”
