Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the coalition-backed party he is expected to align with ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku made the announcement on Monday through a post on his X handle, where he shared a photograph of himself holding his ADC membership card with the caption: “It’s official.”
His move to the ADC comes months after he resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in July, following a prolonged internal crisis that had rocked the opposition party.
The development also follows recent discussions surrounding his 2027 presidential ambition. A few weeks earlier, Atiku had addressed claims suggesting he planned to step aside for another presidential hopeful. Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, he said he would only withdraw from the race if a younger candidate emerged victorious in the ADC presidential primary. According to him, “If I run for office and a young man defeats me, I will accept that. The party we have joined now prioritises youth and women.”
However, his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, later issued a statement dismissing interpretations that Atiku intended to step down for any aspirant, describing such reports as “a misrepresentation” of his comments.
Ibe said a careful review of the interview—both in Hausa and the English translation—confirmed that Atiku did not suggest he was relinquishing his presidential bid.
“At no point did the former Vice President expressly state, suggest, or even imply that he intends to step down for anyone,” the statement read. “What Atiku Abubakar clearly said was that young people and other aspirants are free to contest. He further emphasised that if a young candidate were to emerge through a competitive primary, he would support such a candidate wholeheartedly.”
He added that while interpretative journalism is acceptable, stretching interpretation “to the point of mischief” is unacceptable.
“For the record, therefore, the insinuations attributed to Waziri Adamawa from his BBC Hausa interview are inaccurate and do not reflect what he actually said,” Ibe concluded.