Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has alleged that there are fresh attempts to prevent the party from participating in the 2027 general election.
In a statement issued on Monday by Phrank Shaibu, his senior special assistant on public communication, Atiku said he had received credible information suggesting that political and legal manoeuvres were being deployed against the ADC.
He alleged that anti-democratic elements within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were working to ensure that the ADC is excluded from the ballot.
“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.
Atiku called on Nigerians to reject any attempt to determine which opposition parties participate in the 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,” he said.
“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?”
He said he hoped the information available to him would not materialise but argued that recent political developments made such concerns difficult to dismiss.
“The pattern has become all too familiar. First, institutions that ought to be neutral are drawn into partisan contests,” he said.
“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.”
Atiku alleged that the ruling party has focused more on weakening the opposition than 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,” he said.
“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 the increasing popularity of the ADC should be met with political competition rather than institutional intimidation.
“The proper response to a popular political movement is not suppression. It is to present superior ideas before the electorate,” he said.
