Atiku: I didn’t reject calls to step down for southern candidate

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denied reports that he rejected calls to step down for a southern candidate ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

There were reports that Atiku rejected the calls at a meeting held recently in Abuja.

The former Vice President and some notable politicians recently united under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to unveil a coalition opposing the President Bola Tinubu administration.

The coalition is seeking to unseat Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

However, Atiku, in a statement issued by his media office on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, described the reports as false, noting that no such meeting was held.

The media office stated: “The entire story is a malicious fabrication — pure fiction cooked up in the propaganda kitchens of the Tinubu-led APC regime.

“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.

“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.”