2027: Atiku denies stepping down, says any decision would be officially communicated
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied rumours that he plans to step down from the race for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election, saying the speculation is designed to dampen the morale of his supporters.
Social media chatter had alleged that Atiku informed stakeholders of the ADC that he would step aside ahead of the party’s national convention on April 14 and the subsequent primaries to decide its presidential ticket.
But in a statement posted on X by his media aide, Paul Ibe, on Monday, dismissed claims circulating on social media that he Atiku met with ADC stakeholders and decided to step aside from active politics.
“We wish to state, for the record, that information circulating on social media about a purported meeting of His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, with stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress, in which the former Vice President allegedly decided to ‘step aside and retire from active politics,’ is entirely false and deliberately misleading,” the statement read.
The Waziri of Adamawa clarified that he had not held any recent meeting with ADC stakeholders at the national level.
“The Waziri Adamawa has not, in recent times, held any such meeting with ADC stakeholders at the national level. The only recent engagement he had was with stakeholders of the ADC in Adamawa State last Thursday,” the statement added.
Atiku stressed that any decision as significant as exiting active politics would not be communicated through unofficial channels.
“An issue as fundamental and consequential as exiting active politics cannot, and would never, be communicated through rumours, faceless sources, or third-party fabrication. Such a decision, if ever taken, would be formally conveyed through the Atiku Media Office,” he said.
The former vice president described the report as part of a coordinated attempt to mislead the public.
“This latest falsehood bears all the hallmarks of a coordinated disinformation campaign designed to create confusion, dampen momentum, and mislead the Nigerian public,” he stated.
Atiku further alleged that the narrative was being driven by those uncomfortable with the current political direction.
He, therefore, urged his supporters and party members to ignore the reports and remain focused.
“Only the government and its agents could have sponsored this desperate narrative out of fear of what is coming.
“We state without equivocation that this mischief is being driven by anti-democratic elements who are deeply unsettled by the growing national consensus to rescue Nigeria from the failures of the current administration.
“We therefore urge supporters of Atiku Abubakar, members of the ADC, and all well-meaning Nigerians to disregard this fake news in its entirety and remain focused on the collective effort to reclaim and rebuild our nation,” the statement added.
