Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that there is a coordinated plan by unnamed individuals within the ruling establishment to prevent the ADC from taking part in the 2027 general elections.
The former vice president warned that any attempt to stop the opposition party from contesting would constitute a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic process.
In a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku claimed he had received credible intelligence indicating that political and legal strategies were being put in place to block the ADC from appearing on the 2027 ballot.
According to him, the alleged plan forms part of a broader effort to weaken opposition parties and deny Nigerians the opportunity to freely choose their preferred leaders.
“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 stated.
He challenged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to compete at the polls instead of allegedly attempting to determine which political parties should participate in the elections.
“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 queried.
Although he expressed hope that the alleged plot would not materialise, Atiku argued that recent political developments have made such concerns difficult to ignore.
He alleged a recurring pattern in which institutions expected to remain neutral are drawn into partisan political contests, while what he described as frivolous lawsuits, administrative actions and political pressure are deployed against opposition figures.
“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 said.
The former vice president also accused the APC-led administration of focusing more on political battles than governance despite Nigeria’s current economic and security challenges.
“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,” the statement added.
Atiku maintained that the growing popularity of the ADC should be challenged through democratic competition rather than institutional interference, insisting that elections should ultimately be decided by voters.
“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 stated.
He further warned that excluding the ADC from the 2027 elections would amount to one of the greatest threats to Nigeria’s constitutional democracy since the country’s return to civilian rule in 1999.
The former vice president also called on the judiciary to resist political influence while urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, civil society organisations and the international community to remain vigilant against any action 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.
Atiku insisted that intimidation, judicial manipulation and political engineering would not 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.
His statement comes amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election, with Atiku and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi adopting the ADC as the platform for a coalition seeking to challenge the APC.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency, the APC nor INEC had responded to Atiku’s allegations.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
