•Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the spokesperson of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has acknowledged concerns over the presidential bid of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking today on Arise TV, Abdullahi said the situation poses a challenge that worries the party.
He, however, cautioned against describing the Atiku–Obi dynamic as the “greatest threat” to Nigeria’s democracy, as suggested during the interview.
“I may not describe the situation in such superlative terms to say that it is the greatest threat to democracy at the moment. But is it a conundrum? Yes. Is it a challenge? Yes. Is it something we are concerned about? Yes,” the ADC chieftain admitted.
He explained that while the matter remains significant, the ADC is currently more focused on strengthening its national structures and developing capacity for a competitive showing in the 2027 polls.
“Nobody in ADC at this time is having a conversation about who the presidential candidates will be.”
He noted that the party is still consolidating its presence across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“We have so much work to do, to establish our presence, to be in a position to contest elections in all the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT. So, this has preoccupied us. But we know that is an issue we have to deal with,” Abdullahi stated.
To manage the situation, Abdullahi said the party may decide to nominate its 2027 presidential candidate by consensus. He added that if that fails, the party’s presidential ticket would be thrown open to all aspirants.
He said, “The most important thing at this time is, when we get to that point, we’ll try to engineer a consensus, which is an option for us. But if we are not able to reach a consensus, then we’ll possibly just open it up for everyone to contest. And it’s not just about Atiku and Peter Obi.”
He added, “There are other people who are also interested in contesting the presidential race. We have to make allowance that it’s not a settled case between just Atiku and Peter Obi.
Abdullahi also disclosed that the ADC is still in conversation with other political parties to form a stronger coalition ahead of the 2027 election.
