Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that there is a fresh and coordinated plot by elements within the ruling establishment to prevent his party from participating in the 2027 general election.
Atiku made the allegation on Monday in Abuja through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
According to the former vice president, he has received credible information suggesting that renewed efforts are underway to keep the ADC off the ballot ahead of next year’s polls. He described the alleged move as “a coordinated onslaught by anti-democratic elements within the ruling party.”
“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. If the All Progressives Congress (APC) is truly confident in its popularity, why is it so terrified of the ADC?” Atiku queried.
He alleged that the ruling party was following a familiar pattern of targeting the opposition by drawing institutions that should remain neutral into partisan contests, encouraging frivolous litigation, selectively deploying administrative powers, and mounting political pressure behind closed doors.
Atiku further accused the ruling establishment of prioritising political survival over governance.
“At a time when Nigerians are battling hunger, inflation, unemployment, insecurity, and declining purchasing power, those entrusted with public office appear more preoccupied with political survival than national survival,” he said.
He warned that any attempt to stop the ADC from fully participating in the electoral process would amount to one of the gravest assaults on Nigeria’s constitutional democracy since the country’s return to civil rule.
According to him, no administration has the constitutional authority to determine which political party Nigerians are allowed to vote for.
“The ballot is sacred, and every attempt to tamper with it is an attack on the Republic itself. The desire for change cannot be outlawed. Hope cannot be deregistered. Democracy cannot be subverted by administrative fiat,” Atiku declared.
The former vice president also called on the judiciary to remain faithful to its constitutional mandate and resist all forms of external pressure, warning that history has never been kind to those who sacrificed justice for political convenience.
He further urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, civil society organisations, and the international diplomatic community to remain vigilant against any actions capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process.
