Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged a fresh plot by unnamed elements within the ruling establishment to prevent the African Democratic Congress from participating in the 2027 general election, warning that any attempt to exclude the opposition party from the contest would amount to a grave assault on Nigeria’s democracy.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the ADC, raised the alarm in a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, claiming he had received “credible information” suggesting that political and legal manoeuvres were being coordinated to keep the party off the ballot.
According to him, the alleged move forms part of a wider campaign to weaken the opposition and deny Nigerians the opportunity to choose their next president freely.
“We are fully aware of their plots. While they seek to sow confusion within the opposition, we know their real target is the ADC because it represents the most credible alternative,” Atiku said.
He called on Nigerians, irrespective of political affiliation, to resist what he described as efforts by the ruling All Progressives Congress to determine which opposition parties should be allowed to contest the election.
“Our message to the APC and the hooded men plotting in dark chambers is simple: you may conspire, but you will not succeed. If the APC is truly confident in its popularity, why is it so terrified of the ADC?” he asked.
Although he expressed hope that the alleged plot would not materialise, Atiku argued that recent political developments had made it difficult to dismiss such warnings.
He alleged a recurring pattern in which institutions expected to remain neutral were drawn into partisan disputes, while what he described as frivolous litigation, administrative actions and political pressure were deployed against opposition figures.
“The pattern has become all too familiar. First, institutions that ought to be neutral are drawn into partisan contests. Then, frivolous litigations suddenly gain unusual momentum. Administrative powers are selectively deployed. Political pressure is mounted behind closed doors. Before long, democracy itself becomes the casualty,” he said.
He further accused the ruling party of focusing more on political battles than governance, despite Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.
“The obsession with silencing the opposition has become so consuming that governance itself has taken a back seat. At a time when Nigerians are battling hunger, inflation, unemployment, insecurity, and collapsing purchasing power, those entrusted with public office appear preoccupied with political survival rather than national survival,” the statement read.
Insisting that the ADC’s growing popularity should be met through democratic competition rather than institutional interference, Atiku said elections should be decided by voters and not through legal or administrative means.
“The proper response to a popular political movement is not suppression. It is to present superior ideas before the electorate. Democracies are won at the ballot box, not in back rooms, not through manipulated court processes, and certainly not through the abuse of state institutions,” he said.
He warned that preventing the ADC from participating in the electoral process would rank among the most serious threats to constitutional democracy since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999.
Atiku also appealed to the judiciary to resist political pressure and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, civil society organisations and the international community to remain vigilant against actions capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process.
“No administration has the constitutional authority to determine which political party Nigerians are permitted to vote for. Sovereignty belongs to the people—not to those who temporarily wield power. The ballot is sacred, and every attempt to tamper with it is an attack on the Republic itself,” he said.
He maintained that intimidation, judicial manipulation and political engineering would not diminish public support for the ADC.
“The desire for change cannot be outlawed. Hope cannot be deregistered. Democracy cannot be subverted by administrative fiat. The will of the Nigerian people will prevail over every conspiracy,” Atiku declared.
The statement comes amid heightened political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election, with Atiku and ex-Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, adopting the ADC as a platform for building a coalition aimed at challenging the ruling APC.
PUNCH Online reports that in recent months, both the APC and opposition parties have traded accusations over alleged attempts to weaken rival political platforms through legal disputes and internal party crises.
Neither the Presidency, the APC, nor INEC had responded to Atiku’s allegations as of the time of filing this report.
