Atiku Rejects Calls To Step Down For Peter Obi, Says No ADC Aspirant Will Withdraw
Amid calls from Obidients for presidential aspirants in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to step down for Peter Obi, former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has firmly rejected the idea, declaring that no candidate in the coalition will withdraw for another. Atiku made his position known in a statement on Tuesday, signed by his media aide, Paul Ibe, following comments from Obi’s supporters, including Prof Pat Utomi and Aisha Yesufu, who dismissed the possibility of Obi emerging as a Vice Presidential candidate within the coalition. Labeling the calls as a threat to democracy, Atiku said: “Any call—overt or covert—for Atiku to ‘step aside’ is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.” He also accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of shrinking democratic space and deliberately weakening opposition parties to establish what he described as a “creeping, de facto one-party state.” According to Atiku, Nigerians have endured nearly three years of harsh economic policies and restricted democratic freedoms, while the APC has sought to suppress political alternatives through pressure on opposition forces. Atiku said the ADC was created by opposition figures to resist these trends and offer Nigerians a credible alternative. He alleged that individuals aligned with the Presidency are attempting to interfere in the party’s internal affairs, particularly the process of selecting a presidential candidate. “Let it be stated plainly: the ADC is on a national rescue mission,” the statement read, emphasizing the party’s commitment to an “open, transparent, and competitive process” for choosing its flagbearer. He warned against external meddling, saying, “APC proxies and external meddlers have no standing to intimidate, blackmail, or sabotage this democratic resolve.” The former vice president noted that the party is focused on building strong grassroots structures nationwide and urged “disruptors and infiltrators” to allow the process to proceed without interference. Declaring that all qualified aspirants would have the opportunity to contest, Atiku said: “No one is stepping down.” He added that if anyone should consider stepping aside, it should be President Tinubu, whom he described as “a national liability.” Atiku concluded by reaffirming the ADC’s determination to challenge the ruling party and “end the misfortune imposed by the Tinubu-led APC.”
