Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed demands from Peter Obi’s supporters, known as Obidients, urging presidential aspirants in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to withdraw in favor of Obi. In a statement released Tuesday by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku insisted no candidate will step aside.
The remarks respond to recent statements from Obi’s allies, including Prof. Pat Utomi and Aisha Yesufu, who oppose Obi serving as a vice presidential candidate in any coalition.
Atiku branded such calls “dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy,” warning: “Any call—overt or covert—for Atiku to ‘step aside’ is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.”
He further slammed the Bola Tinubu administration for eroding democratic freedoms and weakening opposition parties to foster a “creeping, de facto one-party state.” Under nearly three years of APC rule, Nigerians have faced severe economic woes and reduced political space, Atiku said.
ADC, he noted, emerged as a united opposition platform to counter this trend and provide a viable alternative. Yet, he alleged that presidency-aligned figures are now sowing discord by meddling in ADC’s candidate selection.
“The ADC is on a national rescue mission,” the statement declared, committing to an “open, transparent, and competitive process.” Atiku cautioned against “APC proxies and external meddlers” attempting to intimidate or sabotage the party.
With ADC prioritizing nationwide grassroots expansion, he urged “disruptors and infiltrators” to back off. “No one is stepping down,” Atiku affirmed, adding that qualified aspirants will contest freely. Instead, he called President Tinubu a “national liability” who should exit.
Atiku vowed ADC’s resolve to defeat the “Tinubu-led APC” and halt Nigeria’s ongoing “misfortune.”
