Former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has declared that no presidential aspirant will step down for another in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as preparations intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Mr. Atiku made the assertion in a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesman, Mr. Paul Ibe, in which he accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to intimidate and weaken the opposition ahead of the polls.

His remarks followed rumours that he was under pressure to step aside for a southern candidate to emerge as the ADC’s presidential flagbearer in the forthcoming election against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to the former Vice-President, opposition leaders had rallied around the ADC to build a credible national alternative to the ruling party, stressing that all qualified aspirants would be free to present themselves once the party formally begins its selection process.

“Predictably, agents aligned with the presidency are now attempting to destabilise the ADC from the outside—issuing reckless prescriptions about its internal affairs, particularly the choice of a presidential candidate,” Mr. Atiku said.

“Let it be stated plainly: the ADC is on a national rescue mission. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, alongside other committed patriots, is central to this effort. Any call—overt or covert—for Atiku to ‘step aside’ is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.”

He stressed that the ADC remained committed to what he described as “an open, transparent, and competitive process” in selecting its presidential candidate.

Mr. Atiku also accused President Tinubu of misgovernance, describing his administration as an increasing national liability.

“For nearly three years, Nigerians have endured one of the harshest periods in recent history—an era defined by punishing economic policies and a shrinking democratic space under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

“True to form, this administration has not only inflicted widespread hardship but has pursued a calculated effort to eliminate political alternatives. The objective is clear: a creeping, de facto one-party state.

“Perhaps the Tinubu administration’s most disturbing achievement has been the systematic weakening of opposition parties, leaving the All Progressives Congress—despite its manifest failures—standing alone by default, not by merit.

“Thankfully, patriotic leaders saw this danger early and chose resistance over silence by rallying around the African Democratic Congress as the nucleus of a credible national alternative,” he added.