Atiku Alleges Plot To Keep ADC Off 2027 Ballot

Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has alleged a fresh plot by elements within the ruling establishment to manipulate the democratic process ahead of the 2027 general election.

Atiku said the alleged plot was aimed at denying Nigerians the right to freely choose their next President.

He raised the alarm in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

According to the former Vice-President, he had received credible information suggesting that renewed political and legal moves may be underway to keep the ADC off the ballot in 2027.

Atiku said the alleged move was targeted at the ADC because of what he described as the party’s growing popularity and its position as a credible alternative.

“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,” he said.

He called on Nigerians, including members of other political parties, to resist any attempt to determine which opposition platform should be allowed to participate in the next general election.

“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 queried.

Although Atiku said he hoped the information would not materialise, he warned that recent political developments made it difficult to ignore such concerns.

“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 former Vice-President accused the ruling party of deploying several tactics against the opposition, including alleged attempts to manufacture leadership crises, judicial ambushes, administrative harassment and moves to delegitimise what he called the country’s fastest-growing political movement.

Atiku said the alleged obsession with weakening the opposition had distracted those in power from 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.

He added that the growing support for the ADC should not be met with intimidation or institutional sabotage.

“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,” Atiku stated.

Atiku warned that any attempt to prevent the ADC from participating fully in the electoral process would amount to a major assault on Nigeria’s 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.

He called on the judiciary to remain faithful to its constitutional oath and resist external pressure, warning that history would judge those who sacrificed justice for political convenience.

The former Vice-President also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, civil society organisations, the diplomatic community and other defenders of democracy to remain vigilant against any action capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process.

“We are placing Nigerians on notice because democracy flourishes only when citizens refuse to be indifferent. Eternal vigilance remains the price of liberty. Every Nigerian who believes in constitutional rule must pay close attention to unfolding events,” Atiku added.