Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that the emerging opposition coalition led by the African Democratic Congress, ADC, is not centred on individual political gladiators like himself, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi or Nasir El-Rufai, but on rescuing Nigeria’s democracy from what he described as the ruling party’s creeping authoritarianism and manipulation of the electoral process.
The media has been awash with speculations of looming battle for the coalition’s 2027 presidential ticket among the political figures.
Atiku made the remarks through his Media Adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe.in an exclusive interview with Vanguard in Abuja yesterday.
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He stressed that the coalition’s central goal is to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy, which he said is under threat from the All Progressives Congress, APC, administration.
“This is not an anti-Tinubu project; it is a pro-Nigerian movement. Nigerians must be the ultimate beneficiaries of this effort,” he stated.
The 2023 presidential candidate spoke as the National Working Committee, NWC,of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, said it has disowned the immediate past Kaduna State Governor, El-Rufai and banished him for 30 years for not registering with the SDP and dragging the party into the Coalition.
Atiku stressed the need for unity among opposition parties and leaders, warning that “any internal divisions would benefit those who intend on clinging to power, those who oppose us, those who wish to maintain the status quo, seek to exploit any cracks within our ranks, turning them into craters. We cannot afford this. Unity is our strength; when we stand together, it becomes difficult for anyone to sow seeds of discord,” he said.
“This is not about individual leaders like Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, or others within the coalition. It is about the well-being and future of Nigeria. It is about enabling Nigerians to recover and rebuild their nation. This is the essence of our project, and we must remind ourselves of it daily as we work together.
“Our mission is about enabling Nigerians to recover and rebuild their nation. It’s crucial to keep these goals in mind and avoid the mistake of counting our chickens before they are hatched,” he warned.
