Atiku Alleges Plot To Stop ADC From Contesting In 2027 Elections
Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that there are fresh attempts to prevent the party from participating in the 2027 general election.
In a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said he had received credible information indicating that political and legal manoeuvres were being deployed against the ADC.
He alleged that anti-democratic elements within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were working to ensure that the opposition party is excluded from the ballot.
“We are fully aware of their plots. While they seek to sow confusion within the opposition, we know their real target is the ADC because it represents the most credible alternative,” Atiku said.
The former vice-president called on Nigerians to reject any attempt to determine which opposition parties should participate in the election.
He said, “We therefore call on all Nigerians — not just ADC members and supporters — to rise in defense of democracy and reject any attempt by the ruling party to cherry-pick which opposition parties are permitted to participate in the next general election.
“Our message to the APC and the hooded men plotting in dark chambers is simple: you may conspire, but you will not succeed.
“If the APC is truly confident in its popularity, why is it so terrified of the ADC?”
Atiku said he hoped the information available to him would not materialise but argued that recent political developments made such concerns difficult to dismiss.
“The pattern has become all too familiar. First, institutions that ought to be neutral are drawn into partisan contests.
“Then, frivolous litigations suddenly gain unusual momentum. Administrative powers are selectively deployed.
“Political pressure is mounted behind closed doors. Before long, democracy itself becomes the casualty,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate further accused the ruling party of focusing more on weakening the opposition than addressing the country’s economic and security challenges.
“The obsession with silencing the opposition has become so consuming that governance itself has taken a back seat.
“At a time when Nigerians are battling hunger, inflation, unemployment, insecurity, and collapsing purchasing power, those entrusted with public office appear preoccupied with political survival rather than national survival,” he said.
According to Atiku, the growing popularity of the ADC should be challenged through political competition rather than institutional intimidation.
“The proper response to a popular political movement is not suppression. It is to present superior ideas before the electorate.
“Democracies are won at the ballot box, not in back rooms, not through manipulated court processes, and certainly not through the abuse of state institutions,” he said.
He warned that any attempt to prevent the ADC from participating in the electoral process would amount to an assault on constitutional democracy.
“No administration has the constitutional authority to determine which political party Nigerians are permitted to vote for.
“Sovereignty belongs to the people — not to those who temporarily wield power.
“The ballot is sacred, and every attempt to tamper with it is an attack on the Republic itself,” he said.
Atiku also urged the judiciary, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, civil society organisations and the diplomatic community to remain vigilant against actions capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process.
“The desire for change can not be outlawed. Hope can not be deregistered. Democracy can not be subverted by administrative fiat.
“The will of the Nigerian people will prevail over every conspiracy, and history will ultimately judge those who seek to place personal ambition above the survival of our democracy,” he added.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
