It is now getting clearer that Atiku Abubakar’s inordinate ambitions will make it impossible for the emergence of a southern candidate on the platform of the ADC.
There are growing concerns within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that leading figures such as Nasir El-Rufai and Peter Obi may abandon the party over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s push to contest Nigeria’s 2027 presidency on its platform. Atiku’s aspirations have sparked mounting unease among early promoters who fear that his ambition threatens the party’s coalition character and regional balance.
A senior member of the ADC’s interim management team, speaking on condition of anonymity, observed: “Yes, everybody is enthusiastic about the new coalition … but the plans by Atiku Abubakar to contest may ruin our chances.”
El-Rufai, who backed a southern candidate in the 2023 election, has reportedly insisted that the presidency stay in the South until 2031. So far, southern figures including Rotimi Amaechi and Peter Obi have indicated interest in the 2027 ticket.
Observers say ADC officials remain silent on who they may endorse, and Datti’s return to the Labour Party suggests a realignment around Obi’s ambition.