Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, on Monday alleged that there were fresh moves by unnamed forces within the ruling establishment to prevent the ADC from participating in the 2027 general elections.
Atiku claimed he had received “credible information” indicating that political and legal strategies were being coordinated to stop the opposition party from appearing on the ballot, warning that such a move would amount to a serious assault on Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
According to the former Vice President, the alleged plot forms part of a broader campaign to weaken the opposition and deny Nigerians the opportunity to freely elect their next president.
“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,” Atiku said.
He challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress to face the electorate rather than allegedly resorting to institutional interference.
“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 asked.
Although he expressed hope that the alleged scheme would not materialise, Atiku said recent political developments made the claims difficult to dismiss.
He alleged a recurring pattern in which state institutions expected to remain neutral were being drawn into partisan contests through what he described as politically motivated litigation and administrative actions.
“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 stated.
The former Vice President further accused the APC-led Federal Government of prioritising political battles over governance despite worsening economic hardship and insecurity across the country.
“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.
Insisting that political contests should be decided by voters rather than through legal or administrative means, Atiku said the growing popularity of the ADC should be confronted through democratic competition.
“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,” he added.
He warned that any attempt to prevent the ADC from participating in the 2027 elections would rank among the gravest threats to Nigeria’s democracy since the country’s return to civilian rule in 1999.
Atiku also called on the judiciary, the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, civil society organisations and the international community to remain vigilant against actions capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process.
“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 maintained that no amount of intimidation or judicial manipulation would diminish public support for the ADC.
“The desire for change cannot be outlawed. Hope cannot be deregistered. Democracy cannot be subverted by administrative fiat. The will of the Nigerian people will prevail over every conspiracy,” he declared.
The statement comes amid intensifying political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Atiku and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi adopting the ADC as the platform for a coalition seeking to challenge the ruling APC.
Neither the APC nor the Independent National Electoral Commission had reacted to Atiku’s allegations as of the time of filing this report.
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