Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed calls for presidential aspirants in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to step down for Peter Obi, insisting that no contender will withdraw for another in the opposition coalition.

Atiku made his position known in a statement issued on Tuesday by his media aide, Paul Ibe, amid growing pressure from Obi’s supporters.

The calls intensified after some of Obi’s allies, including Prof. Pat Utomi and activist Aisha Yesufu, rejected suggestions that Obi should accept a vice-presidential slot in the coalition arrangement.

Rejecting any demand that he should step aside, Atiku described such calls as dangerous and harmful to Nigeria’s democracy.

“Any call, overt or covert for Atiku to ‘step aside’ is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people,” the statement said.

The former vice president accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of shrinking Nigeria’s democratic space and deliberately weakening opposition parties in a bid to impose what he described as a creeping one-party state.
“For nearly three years, Nigerians have endured one of the harshest periods in recent history — marked by punishing economic policies and a shrinking democratic space,” the statement added, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of applying pressure to eliminate political alternatives.

According to Atiku, the ADC was adopted by opposition leaders as a platform to resist this trend and present Nigerians with a credible alternative.

He further alleged that individuals linked to the Presidency were attempting to destabilise the ADC by interfering in its internal affairs, particularly the process of selecting a presidential candidate.

“Let it be stated clearly: the ADC is on a national rescue mission,” the statement read, stressing that the party is committed to an open, transparent and competitive process in choosing its flagbearer.

Atiku warned against external interference, saying APC proxies had no right to intimidate, blackmail or sabotage the party’s democratic process.

Leadership

Contact us on +2349127374577, +2347036621678, for Advert Placement, News Coverage, Script Writing, Translations, Jingle packaging and other Media Services.