Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emphatically stated that no aspirant vying for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket will be coerced into stepping down ahead of the 2027 general election. This declaration, made in a statement by his media adviser Paul Ibe, addresses ongoing speculation that Atiku was under pressure to yield to a Southern candidate to challenge incumbent President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku urged Nigerians to resist what he termed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)'s efforts to intimidate and weaken the opposition. He insisted that the ADC is committed to conducting an open and competitive process for choosing its flagbearer. He further argued that if any aspirant should step aside, it ought to be President Tinubu, whose leadership he characterized as a growing national liability.

The former Vice President stated that Nigerians have endured one of the harshest periods in recent history under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration, marked by punishing economic policies and a shrinking democratic space. Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of pursuing a deliberate strategy to weaken opposition parties, thereby fostering what he described as a creeping de facto one-party state.

He elaborated that the Tinubu administration's most unsettling achievement has been the systematic weakening of opposition parties, leaving the APC standing alone by default rather than by merit, despite its manifest failures. Concerned political leaders, recognizing this danger early, rallied around the ADC as a credible national alternative. However, Atiku alleged that agents aligned with the Presidency are now attempting to destabilize the ADC, particularly concerning its choice of presidential candidate.

Reaffirming the party's mission, Atiku declared that the ADC is on a national rescue mission, with himself and other committed patriots central to this effort. He asserted that any call, whether overt or covert, for him to step aside constitutes a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.

Atiku reiterated the ADC's consistent commitment to an open, transparent, and competitive process for selecting its flagbearer. He warned that APC proxies and external meddlers have no standing to intimidate, blackmail, or sabotage this democratic resolve. The party is currently focused on building robust structures at ward, local government, and state levels nationwide, and he cautioned disruptors and infiltrators to keep clear.

The former Vice President also highlighted the recent declaration of ADC membership by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in Enugu, describing the move as having exposed fears within the ruling party. He concluded by asserting that when the time comes, all qualified aspirants will present themselves freely, and no one is stepping down. He reiterated his firm belief that if anyone should step aside, it is President Tinubu, whose leadership has become a national liability.