Atiku Breaks Silence on Stepping Down, Retirement from Politics Ahead of 2027

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed reports suggesting he plans to step down from contesting the 2027 presidential election or retire from active politics.

In a statement released on Monday, Atiku described the claims as false and misleading.

He said the reports were aimed at confusing the public and weakening the growing momentum within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The statement was issued through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, who maintained that no such decision had been taken by the former presidential candidate.

Atiku also denied holding any meeting with ADC stakeholders at the national level where such a decision was allegedly reached. He clarified that his only recent engagement with party members was a meeting with stakeholders in Adamawa State last Thursday.

The statement read, “We wish to state, for the record, that information circulating on social media about a purported meeting of His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, with stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in which the former Vice President allegedly decided to “step aside and retire from active politics,” is entirely false and deliberately misleading.

“The Waziri Adamawa has not in recent times held any such meeting with ADC stakeholders at the national level. The only recent engagement he had was with stakeholders of the ADC in Adamawa State last Thursday.

“An issue as fundamental and consequential as exiting active politics cannot, and would never, be communicated through rumours, faceless sources, or third-party fabrication. Such a decision, if ever taken, would be formally conveyed through the Atiku Media Office.

“This latest falsehood bears all the hallmarks of a coordinated disinformation campaign designed to create confusion, dampen momentum, and mislead the Nigerian public.

“Only the government and its agents could have sponsored this desperate narrative out of fear of what is coming.

“We state without equivocation that this mischief is being driven by anti-democratic elements who are deeply unsettled by the growing national consensus to rescue Nigeria from the failures of the current administration.

“We therefore urge supporters of Atiku Abubakar, members of the ADC, and all well-meaning Nigerians to disregard this fake news in its entirety and remain focused on the collective effort to reclaim and rebuild our nation.”

Atiku insisted that any major decision regarding his political future would be officially communicated through his media office and not through unofficial channels.

He further accused unnamed actors of deliberately spreading false information to distract from ongoing political developments ahead of the 2027 general elections.