I’m Not Under Pressure to Step Down for Southern Candidate – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has refuted claims of attending any meeting where he was urged to withdraw from the 2027 presidential election in favor of a southern candidate.

Atiku, alongside other political bigwigs like Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Aminu Tambuwal, Nasir El-Rufai, had recently adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the party for the opposition coalition to oust President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

After the coalition formed, rumors circulated that Atiku and other northern politicians were being urged to support a southern candidate against Tinubu.

Reacting in a statement, Atiku’s Media Office stated that such reports are not only false; it is laughably desperate.

The Vice President, no meeting was held to ask him to step down, adding that the entire story is a malicious fabrication – pure fiction cooked up in the propaganda kitchens of the Tinubu-led APC regime.

The statement reads: “In response to recent inquiries from journalists and concerned Nigerians regarding a phantom meeting where His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, was said to have “rejected calls to step down for a southern candidate,” we are compelled to set the record straight in the strongest possible terms:

“There was no such meeting. Atiku Abubakar was never in attendance. The entire story is a malicious fabrication — pure fiction cooked up in the propaganda kitchens of the Tinubu-led APC regime.

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“It is not only false; it is laughably desperate.

“This is nothing but a diversionary tactic — an attempt by a faltering administration to sow discord within the opposition ranks and derail the momentum gained by the successful unveiling of the ADC as the coalition’s political vehicle.

“Let it be known: No amount of propaganda, planted stories, or faceless briefings will fracture the resolve of the opposition coalition. We are united, focused, and determined to rescue Nigeria from the clutches of this rudderless government.

“We want to remind the ruling party that Nigerians have already embraced the ADC as the most credible and viable opposition platform ahead of 2027. The massive and growing support that the ADC continues to enjoy across the country is not just encouraging – it is a clear signal that the Tinubu administration is living on borrowed time.

“We call on Nigerians and the media to treat the so-called “statement” with the contempt it deserves. It bears no attribution, no credibility, and no truth.”