Atiku Secures ADC Presidential Nomination

In line with analysts’ predictions, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar announced on Wednesday that he had secured the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket for the 2027 general election. This marks the fourth time he has won a presidential nomination since 2007, when he contested on the Action Congress platform. Will Atiku achieve the ambition he has pursued since 1993, when he first contested the Social Democratic Party primaries? Ejiofor Alike asks.

Atiku polled 1,846,379 votes, defeating his nearest rival, former Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi, who received 540,117 votes. Economist Mohammed Hayatu‑Deen came in third with 177,120 votes.

Atiku’s victory is not his first as a major opposition candidate. He was the Action Congress candidate in 2007, finishing third behind the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (PDP) and the late President Muhammadu Buhari (ANPP). He was also the PDP candidate in 2019, losing to incumbent President Buhari (APC), and again in 2023 after defeating Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State in the primaries, but he was defeated by APC’s Bola Tinubu.

Between 1993 and 2023, Atiku has contested presidential primaries six times: 1993 (SDP), 2007 (Action Congress), 2011 (PDP), 2014 (APC), 2019 (PDP), and 2023 (PDP). He has a reputation for opposing the second‑term bid of an incumbent from his own party, having challenged Goodluck Jonathan (PDP) in 2011 and Buhari (APC) in 2019.

His entry into the 2027 race on the ADC platform will be his seventh presidential bid. Analysts suggest that his experience in the 2023 election will shape a three‑horse race against APC’s Tinubu and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) leader Peter Obi.

In his acceptance speech, Atiku praised the ADC as a party “built through hard work, immense sacrifices and compromises, guided by our determination to rescue our country’s democracy, which is facing its greatest threat since the return to democratic rule in 1999.”

However, analysts note that the opposition remains fragmented. The failure of a united coalition, as seen in 2014, leaves APC well positioned to win in 2027, having secured less than 37 % of the vote in 2023.

Contrary to his claims of sacrifice and compromise, leading ADC figures—Atiku, Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and Amaechi—have reportedly prioritized personal ambition. This has led Obi and Kwankwaso to defect to the NDC, leaving Atiku and Amaechi in the ADC.

Within the ADC, a dispute persists between Mark‑led and Dumebi Kachikwu‑led factions. Amaechi has publicly challenged the primary results, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and manipulation, and has accused party officials of undermining the exercise’s integrity.

Following Amaechi’s protest, Atiku visited his Abuja residence to seek reconciliation, announcing the visit on his X handle and hinting at a second leg. Analysts believe the visit aims to present a united front against APC, as Atiku cannot afford to leave Amaechi disgruntled after the 2022 PDP primary defeat by Wike.

Speculation suggests Amaechi may be offered the vice‑presidential slot to mitigate internal damage. Yet, in December 2025, Amaechi dismissed any possibility of running as a vice‑presidential candidate with Atiku, declaring his intention to run for president independently. He responded to suggestions from Atiku’s ally Dele Momodu that he might join the ticket if Obi declined.

Atiku’s campaign now faces significant challenges: a fractured opposition likely to split votes, the rising popularity of Obi and Kwankwaso’s NDC, threats from the Kachikwu‑led ADC faction, and the Amaechi factor. Whether he will retreat to Dubai, as he reportedly did in previous election seasons, or mobilize extensive resources to pursue his long‑standing ambition remains uncertain as 2027 approaches.