Presidency Downplays Atiku’s ADC Candidacy Ahead of 2027 Polls
The Presidency has brushed off the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting that his bid does not constitute a threat to President Bola Tinubu’s chances in the 2027 election.
No Electoral Threat, Says Presidential Aide
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, told Punch that the ADC alliance was forged not from ideology or a governance vision but from resentment and exclusion from political power.
Ajayi characterised Atiku’s candidacy as a familiar and predictable pattern of presidential ambition, noting that the former vice‑president has been chasing the nation’s highest office since 1992.
“He has been a candidate in three elections — AC in 2007, PDP in 2019 and 2023 — and an aspirant in 2015, 2011 and 1992,” Ajayi said. “By that record, he is a veteran of the presidential contest, but he does not pose any threat to President Tinubu’s election.”
Opposition Coalition Described as Fractured
The presidential aide argued that the coalition backing Atiku was already weakened before the primary, pointing to the withdrawal of key figures such as Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as evidence of its fragile structure.
According to Ajayi, the opposition bloc lacked a coherent developmental agenda and was instead a gathering of politicians motivated by personal grievances rather than a shared national vision.
Buhari Comparison Rejected
Ajayi also dismissed comparisons between Atiku’s 2027 ambition and Muhammadu Buhari’s successful 2015 bid, stating that the political conditions that propelled Buhari to victory no longer exist.
“Buhari won on a unified opposition platform where personal ambitions were subordinated to a collective goal. That unity is absent today,” he added, noting that Atiku does not command the northern support base that once buoyed Buhari.
The Presidency concluded that Nigerians will judge the 2027 election on performance, not on opposition realignments, and welcomed Atiku’s participation as a routine episode in the country’s democratic process.
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