BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – As legal tussles for the soul of opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) continue to play out at different courts across Nigeria, the Party’s Presidential Candidate of theAtiku Abubakar, has declared that being on the ballot for the 2027 general elections remains a done deal and there is no cause for alarm.
Atiku, who acknowledged ongoing legal challenge against his presidential ambition, pointedly said, “No manipulation, conjecture or concoction can erase our place in this contest, silence our campaign or deny Nigerians the right to choose their future. We are on the ballot, and the people must be allowed to decide.”
Accordingly, the former Vice President urged all ADC stakeholders and his supporters to remain steadfast, assuring them that he remains in the 2027 Presidential race for the good of all Nigerians who are suffering from the economic hardship inflicted on them by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
Reacting to Thursday’s ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja nullifying the ADC leadership by Senator David Mark and invalidating all decisions taken by the party under its leadership, including his emergence as presidential candidate, the former Vice President: “I am in this race. I am not going anywhere. We will be on the ballot. No threat, blackmail or court manoeuvres will make me abandon you or the cause we share.”
Atiku said the APC should abandoned the idea of using the courts to escape the judgment of Nigerians at the ballot box, claiming that the latest court ruling does not reflect the will of the Nigerian people.
The ADC Presidential candidate added, “No manipulation, conjecture or concoction can erase our place in this contest, silence our campaign or deny Nigerians the right to choose their future. We are on the ballot, and the people must be allowed to decide.”
Throwing a veiled jab at the ruling APC, party, Atiku said, “those who boast of having thirty-two governors and claim to have bought, pressured or coerced leaders from other parties into their fold should have no reason to fear a free and fair contest.
“Yet, instead of presenting their record to Nigerians, they continue to deploy every tactic available to weaken the opposition: political pressure, manufactured narratives, courtroom manoeuvres and attempts to compromise the voters’ register with AI-generated photographs, false names and fictitious identities.
“These are not the actions of people confident in their record. They are calculated attempts to make genuine competition impossible and push Nigeria towards a one-party state.”
Also alleging that the present administration had no record to defend before Nigerians, the ADC Standard bearer said: “This government removed the fuel subsidy overnight without a plan to protect Nigerians. It presided over the steep decline of the naira and allowed food prices to rise beyond the reach of ordinary families. Factories and small businesses have shut their doors. Our young people are leaving in search of hope, while bandits and kidnappers continue to hold communities hostage.
“Look around you. Market stalls stand empty. Feeding your family has become a daily struggle. Fuel prices keep rising, and silent pain fills homes across the country. Those in power may want you to believe that your suffering does not matter. They may want you to surrender your future before you even reach the ballot box. Do not lose heart. Do not retreat. Your vote is your power, and together, we will take our country back.”
“We will resist with all our strength every attempt to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. Nigeria belongs to all its people. Our democracy must remain open to more than one party and more than one voice. If those in power believe in their numbers and their record, let us meet at the polls in a free, fair and credible contest.”
Reaffirming his spot on the ballot despite the latest wave of courtroom maneuvers and shifting political alliances, Atiku delivered a direct message to the administration thus: “Let me say this plainly: Bola cannot use the courts to escape the judgment of Nigerians at the ballot box.”
