Atiku Abubakar has denied reports that he plans to drop his 2027 presidential ambition for another candidate.
His media aide clarified that he only welcomed youth participation, not that he would step aside.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has rejected claims that he plans to shelve his presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 elections in favour of another aspirant.
The clarification followed media reports on Thursday, October 2, alleging that Atiku, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, suggested he might step aside for a younger and more widely acceptable candidate under the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, the former Vice President described the reports as a distortion of his remarks. He explained that a careful review of the interview, both in Hausa and its English translation, confirmed that Atiku never indicated any intention to step down for another contender.
According to Ibe, Atiku only emphasized that young Nigerians and other interested aspirants are welcome to contest for the presidency. He added that if a youthful candidate were to emerge through a transparent and competitive primary process, Atiku would have no hesitation in offering his support.
The statement urged media organizations to avoid misrepresentation, stressing that the conclusions drawn from Atiku’s BBC Hausa interview were misleading and did not reflect his actual position.
