Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has said none of the presidential aspirants on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) would step down from the contest for the opposition party’s presidential ticket.
Atiku, in a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, yesterday, accused “agents aligned” to the Presidency of an alleged attempt to destabilise the ADC by prescribing whom its presidential candidate should be.
Apart from Atiku, other presidential aspirants on the platform of the opposition party include former Anambra governor, Peter Obi and former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
The former vice president also accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of weakening opposition in the country since 2023.
While noting that the ADC is on a mission to rescue the country, he said himself and other committed patriots are pivotal to the effort. Consequently, he argued that any call for him to step aside from the presidential contest would amount to a “gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.”
“True to form, this administration has not only inflicted widespread hardship but has pursued a calculated effort to eliminate political alternatives. The objective is clear: a creeping, de facto one-party state.
“Perhaps the Tinubu administration’s most disturbing ‘achievement’ has been the systematic weakening of opposition parties, leaving the All Progressives Congress, despite its manifest failures, standing alone by default, not by merit.
“Thankfully, patriotic leaders saw this danger early and chose resistance over silence by rallying around the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the nucleus of a credible national alternative.
“Predictably, agents aligned with the Presidency are now attempting to destabilise the ADC from the outside – issuing reckless prescriptions about its internal affairs, particularly the choice of a presidential candidate.
“Let it be stated plainly: the ADC is on a national rescue mission. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, alongside other committed patriots, is central to this effort. Any call—overt or covert – for Atiku to ‘step aside’ is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people.
“The ADC has consistently affirmed its commitment to an open, transparent, and competitive process for selecting its flagbearer. APC proxies and external meddlers have no standing to intimidate, blackmail, or sabotage this democratic resolve.”
“At present, the ADC is focused on building strong wards, local governments and state structures nationwide. Disruptors and infiltrators must allow the party to do this essential work without interference.
“The party remains open and welcoming to all genuine opposition figures. This inclusiveness, not coercion, is the soul of democracy. When the time comes, all qualified aspirants will present themselves freely.
“No one is stepping down. If anyone should step aside, it is President Tinubu—whose leadership has become a national liability.
“The recent public declaration of ADC membership by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in Enugu, the political heartbeat of the Southeast, triggered open boasts by a serving minister and presidential aides about plans to undermine the party. Their fear is evident.
“Let there be no ambiguity: the ADC is determined to end the misfortune imposed by the Tinubu-led APC. No amount of intimidation, intrigue, or sabotage will derail this rescue mission. Nigeria will not surrender its democracy without a fight.”
Credit: The Sun