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By David Odama
Arising from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s declaration last Monday, his decision to pitch tent with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) signifies official alignment with the coalition party ahead of the 2027 elections. Available records show that Atiku resigned from the PDP about 130 days ago, a platform on which he ran for the presidency twice. His move to the ADC now makes it his sixth party in 38 years of active political participation.
Atiku, having lost his presidential ambitions several times in his younger years, turned 79 on November 25 this year. He will be 81 when he contests the presidency in 2027, leaving many Nigerians wondering whether this will finally be the year he achieves his long held dream of becoming the nation’s president. Registering as a member of the ADC at his Jada Ward 1 in Adamawa State, Atiku told his supporters and political allies that it was “the beginning of his achievable decisive national rescue mission aimed at ending the unacceptable misrule of the ruling APC.”
According to him, his official exit from the PDP and entry into the ADC signaled the start of a strategic political realignment to unseat the APC. He pointed to what he described as unprecedented governance and leadership crises that had reached a melting point in the lives of many Nigerians, insisting that his mission was to rescue the country in 2027. Atiku boasted that his registration marked the beginning of a coordinated effort to rescue Nigeria from cruel leadership that has brought the country to the brink. He declared that APC’s ineffectual leadership had exposed the nation to dangers that left citizens at the receiving end of existential crises threatening to consume the world’s largest Black nation.
Pooh poohing Atiku’s move, former National Chairman of the APC, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, argued that the former vice president lacked the capacity to lead Nigeria because he could not build the PDP. “If the former vice president under PDP could not fix the PDP, he could not reconstruct it, he could not provide leadership and use his influence which he had built, how can you lay claim to fix Nigeria?” Oshiomhole asked on a Channels TV programme.
How far can Atiku go?
For many people, Atiku is easily remembered as former vice president and 2023 presidential candidate of the PDP. His political journey, however, stretches back into the turbulent transition years of the early 1990s. After serving for two decades in the Nigeria Customs Service, he began to align with key figures of the People’s Front of Nigeria (PFN), a political movement steered by the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. In 1989, Atiku held sway as the National Vice Chairman of the PFN and a delegate to the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution.
History records that in the run up to the nation’s ill fated Third Republic, Atiku contested in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential primaries but was prevailed upon by Yar’Adua to step down for Chief MKO Abiola midway. The early setback did not deter him; instead, it reinforced his resolve to navigate Nigeria’s political terrain. With the return of democracy in the late 1990s, Atiku played a central role in building what became the PDP. By 1998, he had won the governorship election in Adamawa State under the PDP platform. But before he could assume the governor’s seat, General Olusegun Obasanjo, the PDP presidential candidate, chose Atiku as his running mate. The pair won, and on May 29, 1999, Atiku was sworn in as vice president, marking a critical landmark in his political journey.
However, his relationship with President Obasanjo soured. In the run up to the 2003 presidential primaries of the PDP, Atiku had the support of most governors to pick the ticket but, after much pressure, he buckled, paving the way for Obasanjo’s re election. By 2006, clashes over constitutional amendments – including the controversial third term bid for Obasanjo – drove a wedge between them, triggering a dramatic shift in Atiku’s political alignment.
Atiku’s first defection
In 2006, Atiku made his first major political defection. He left the PDP for the Action Congress (AC), positioning himself as presidential candidate for the 2007 election. His decision was widely seen as a direct consequence of his rift with Obasanjo and frustration within the PDP. He contested in 2007 under the AC banner but failed to clinch victory. The defeat, however, did not mark the end of his ambitions.
Return to PDP
After just a few years with the AC, Atiku returned to the PDP in 2009 and immediately resumed his quest for the presidency. In 2011, he sought the PDP ticket but lost to incumbent Goodluck Jonathan. In 2014, he left with a camp of PDP leaders known as n PDP for the APC. He sought the party’s presidential ticket but lost to Muhammadu Buhari, who went on to defeat Jonathan at the polls, ending PDP’s 16 year reign at Aso Rock.
Before 2019, Atiku returned to the PDP and emerged as the party’s presidential candidate but was defeated by Buhari in the general election. Through these cycles, he developed a reputation as a tenacious political warrior, never far from the centre of power despite repeated setbacks. His latest resignation is the third time he has left the PDP and the fifth time he has changed party platforms since 1999.
In July 2025, he resigned from the PDP once again – this time citing “irreconcilable differences” with the party’s trajectory. He aligned himself with a new opposition coalition built around the ADC, a strategic move seen by many as part of his long term bid to shape Nigeria’s future.
What hope in 2027?
The question now is whether Atiku will realize his dream of rescuing Nigeria from what he describes as APC misrule, using the ADC as the achievable platform after years of unsuccessful attempts to rule Nigeria. Supporters believe his resilience and experience may finally pay off, while critics argue that his age, history of defections, and repeated losses cast doubt on his chances. As 2027 approaches, Nigerians will be watching closely to see whether Atiku’s decades long pursuit of the presidency will culminate in victory – or yet another chapter of near misses.
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Cross River APC ward, chapter demand state chairman, Alphonsus Eba resignation
By David Odama
The Executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State has called for the resignation of the State Chairman, Alphonsus Eba.
The demand emerged during a combined meeting of the Forum of Ward Chairmen, Chapter Chairmen, secretaries, and all 196 ward chairmen of the party in Calabar.
Addressing the gathering, Chairman of the Chairmen Forum and Boki Chapter Chairman, High Chief Kelvin Njong, described the move as both a collective struggle and a revolution within the party.
“This is a collective fight and a revolution,” “The crisis in the party is no longer hidden. It must be addressed, and the only way to resolve it is for the state chairman to step aside”, Njong said.
Furthermore, he criticised what he described as the lopsided allocation of statutory party funds, warning that inaction now could set a dangerous precedent for party administration.
Comrade Frankline Egbai, representing the Biase Local Government Chapter, expressed deep dissatisfaction with how ward executives have been treated under the current leadership.
He opened that some chapter executives reportedly receive as little as 700 naira per month.
In the same meeting, the executives passed a vote of confidence in the Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, pledging full support for his re-election in recognition of his achievements.
Reacting to the claims, State Chairman Alphonsus Eba dismissed the allegations describing the move as unfounded.
