Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed reports suggesting that he intends to abandon his presidential ambition in favour of another aspirant.
Atiku was quoted by some media platforms as having declared his willingness to step down for a younger, more vibrant candidate on the platform of the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC) during an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday.
However, the former Vice President has described the reports as a misrepresentation of his comments.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku insisted that neither the video nor the transcript of the BBC interview implied or suggested that he planned to step aside for anyone.
The statement read in part:
“After a thorough review of both the video and transcripts of the interview in the original Hausa and the English translation it is evident that at no point did the former Vice President expressly state, suggest, or even imply that he intends to step down for anyone.
“What Atiku Abubakar clearly and unambiguously said was that young people, as well as other prospective presidential aspirants, are free to enter the contest. He further stressed that if a young candidate were to emerge through a competitive primary, he would readily support such a candidate without hesitation.
“While interpretative journalism is a legitimate aspect of reporting, stretching interpretation to the point of mischief is unacceptable and must not be encouraged. 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.”
Meanwhile, former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has reacted to Atiku’s clarification.
He noted that while Atiku said he would support a younger candidate if defeated in the ADC primaries, the chances of such an outcome were slim.
Sani wrote on X:
“His Excellency the Waziri reportedly said he would step aside if a younger candidate wins the primaries… The keyword here is PRIMARIES… It’s easier for a camel to pass through the hole of a needle than to beat the Waziri in primaries. Party delegates are a special breed of people.”
Although Atiku could not confirm if he would contest the presidency in 2027, he reiterated that the immediate focus is to strengthen the ADC and build a strong political base.
“This is only the beginning. Our priority is to establish the party and gain a strong following,” he added.
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