By Eshiorameh Sebastian and James Adamu in Abuja
Atiku Abubakar has begun covert negotiations to secure the African Democratic Congress’ presidential ticket, party insiders revealed Wednesday, as the ADC formally shut down automatic nominations for Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi in a move that seemed to have fractured opposition unity talks.
Interim National Chairman of the party, Senator David Mark, reiterated this stance during Tuesday’s strategic meeting in Abuja, emphasising that the ADC would not adopt zoning arrangements or favour any aspirant in its presidential selection process.
This development followed mounting calls for the party to zone its presidential ticket to southern Nigeria, coinciding with Labour Party’s 2023 vice presidential candidate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed’s explosive ARISE Television interview last Friday.
During the interview, Datti expressed grave doubts about the integrity of any primary election involving Atiku Abubakar, specifically recalling the controversial 2018 PDP presidential primary in Port Harcourt.
Atiku’s campaign style eliminates all mercy during primaries,’ Datti asserted, detailing how the convention demonstrated the former vice president’s political ruthlessness. These revelations, he noted, raise serious concerns about fair competition against opponents like Peter Obi.
“When the chips are down and it’s time for primaries, what type of primaries is Atiku going to do with an Amaechi? You know how Atiku does primaries mercilessly. In Port Harcourt, I remember dollars flying”, he said.
However, Mark, a former Senate President, has stressed that the ADC remains committed to internal democracy and would ensure a level playing field for all aspirants seeking the party’s ticket.
“The ADC has no preferred or favourite presidential aspirant,” he stated. “We are focused on building a platform that is attractive and acceptable to the majority of Nigerians. The eventual candidate will emerge through an absolutely transparent process.”
Mark used the opportunity to rally ADC members, urging unity and collective ownership of the party’s vision. “All ADC members are equal joiners and equal owners of the party,” he said. “I don’t own this party more than any of our members, and I urge all members to prepare to show Nigerians that ADC is a different party—one that is ready to properly run democracy in our country.”
He called on members to prioritise party-building over individual ambitions, adding, “We must bond together to build the party before we can talk about ambitions.”
His remarks came amid growing speculation that the party could serve as a potential alternative platform for prominent politicians dissatisfied with their current political affiliations.
The ADC, recently adopted as a coalition platform for opposition forces, was already grappling with internal cohesion before Atiku’s declaration. Now, his move has exposed deep ideological and generational fault lines.
The ADC’s rejection of zoning contradicts internal calls for a southern candidate after Tinubu’s term. While El-Rufai and Amaechi push this agenda, the party insists on merit-based selection. Atiku remains undeclared but politically engaged, with close sources confirming he’ll ignore exit demands.
Atiku’s supporters view him as the natural frontrunner given his vice presidential pedigree.
Voices like that of media mogul, Dele Momodu, have attempted to frame Atiku’s candidacy as a pragmatic choice. “Politics is about numbers, and the North has the numbers,” Momodu argued on Channels TV. “Atiku has the pedigree. I want the Obidients and those supporting Amaechi to think in that direction.” Yet, such appeals may fall on deaf ears among those determined to break from Nigeria’s entrenched political class.
Atiku, who will be 81 by the time of the 2027 polls, reportedly brushed aside appeals from one of allies, El-Rufai, Northern elders, and even members of his inner circle, who had urged him to assume the role of a kingmaker rather than a candidate.
Atiku has said 2027 is not just about him; it’s about salvaging Nigeria from the grips of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he was quoted as telling ADC leaders. If the ADC is serious about taking power, we must present a candidate with the experience and structure to win—not experiment with newcomers.
His stance, however, has triggered an immediate backlash. A faction of the ADC, comprising younger politicians who had hoped the party would break from Nigeria’s tradition of recycling old political figures, has threatened to exit if Atiku is imposed as the flagbearer.
Amid growing concern within Obidients, Dele Momodu has doubled down on his support for Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid during a recent televised interview, while stating Labour Party supporters remain entitled to champion Peter Obi’s candidacy.
The younger elements and the Labour Party bloc are furious. Reports suggest that several state chapters are considering emergency meetings to deliberate on mass defections, leaving the party’s interim leadership scrambling to maintain unity.
ADC’s interim National Chairman, David Mark, has attempted to downplay the crisis, insisting that the party has “no preferred aspirant” and that its presidential candidate will emerge through a transparent process. But with Atiku’s camp already asserting influence, many within the ADC doubt such assurances.
The fallout extends beyond the ADC. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, had been in talks with ADC leaders, including Atiku, and has promised to serve one term for power to return to the North in 2031.
But Atiku’s sudden move has complicated those discussions.
Sources within the camp of the former Anambra State governor, said Atiku’s sudden switch has changed everything. Obi is open to a coalition, but not playing second fiddle to Atiku again. Obi has assured his supporters that he would be the ballot in 2027, meaning he has to stay and fight for the ticket or retreat to Labour Party where his fate is not sure.
Similarly, Rotimi Amaechi, the former Transportation Minister and APC stalwart who has been quietly exploring an opposition switch, is said to be “recalculating.” Amaechi, who recently declared that the ADC has an obligation to produce a southern president in 2027, has even offered to serve a single term to maintain Nigeria’s North-South power rotation. But his case might be worse due to his poor support base in the ADC.
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