ABUJA, NIGERIA — Former Vice President and the newly minted presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has sounded the alarm over an alleged undercover plot by the ruling establishment to legally and administratively block the party from contesting the 2027 general elections.
According to a highly charged press release issued on Monday, June 29, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the main opposition camp claims to have intercepted credible intelligence detailing a multi-pronged strategy to strike the ADC off the national ballot before the presidential election cycle begins in earnest.
Atiku described the alleged manoeuvres as a desperate bid by anti-democratic forces within the All Progressives Congress (APC) to fracture opposition solidarity and deprive the electorate of an alternative choice.
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A systematic playbook of institutional sabotage
The ADC standard-bearer argued that the alleged attempt to suppress his platform reflects a recurring and highly predictable playbook in which critical state institutions, originally established to serve as neutral referees, are deliberately weaponized to advance partisan agendas.
Tracing the progression of the alleged conspiracy, the former Vice President outlined how administrative bottlenecks and backroom political pressure are systematically deployed to choke off viable political movements before they reach the ballot box.
“The pattern has become all too familiar. First, institutions that ought to remain neutral are dragged into highly partisan contests. Then, frivolous litigations suddenly gain an unusual amount of momentum, while administrative powers are selectively deployed behind closed doors. Before long, democracy itself becomes the casualty,” Atiku warned.
Directly challenging the ruling party’s confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections, the opposition leader questioned why the APC appears deeply unsettled by the ADC’s growing grassroots popularity if the administration truly believes it enjoys the genuine support of the Nigerian people. He maintained that the proper response to a rising political rival is to compete with superior economic and social blueprints rather than orchestrate technical disqualifications behind closed doors.
Focus on political survival over hunger and insecurity
Atiku further criticized the federal government for prioritizing partisan self-preservation and political engineering over the urgent structural challenges confronting the nation. He noted that while the state apparatus is allegedly preoccupied with shrinking the country’s civic space, everyday Nigerians are left to contend with severe inflation, declining household purchasing power, high unemployment, widespread hunger, and worsening insecurity across the country.
Warning that any attempt to deregister or exclude the ADC would amount to a serious assault on Nigeria’s constitutional democracy since the return to civilian rule in 1999, Atiku reminded the ruling class that the mandate to choose leaders belongs exclusively to the people.
“The ballot is sacred, and every attempt to tamper with it is a direct attack on the Republic itself. The desire for change cannot be outlawed by administrative fiat. Hope cannot be deregistered,” the statement said.
Calling for vigilance, the former Vice President appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, civil society organisations, and the international community to resist any external pressure aimed at compromising the country’s democratic process. He also urged the judiciary to remain an impartial arbiter, safeguard its institutional integrity, and dismiss politically motivated litigations intended to undermine the will of the people.
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