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African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has vowed to remain in the 2027 presidential race, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of using court proceedings and other tactics to weaken opposition parties and undermine his candidacy.
Atiku made the declaration in a statement issued on Friday in Sokoto, responding to the latest court judgment nullifying the leadership of the ADC under former Senate President David Mark.
BOLA CANNOT USE THE COURTS TO ESCAPE THE PEOPLE’S VERDICT; WE ARE ON THE BALLOT — ATIKU
Fellow Nigerians,
Let no one mistake the latest court ruling for the will of the Nigerian people. 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.
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.
And what record do they have to defend? 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.
Let me be clear to every Nigerian who has stood with us: I am in this race. I am not going anywhere. We will be on the ballot. No threat, blackmail or court manoeuvre will make me abandon you or the cause we share.
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.
Our campaign will continue. Our message on the cost of living will not be silenced or derailed. Stay calm, united and resolute. Together, we will fight for a Nigeria where life is affordable and every citizen’s vote counts.
Let me say this plainly: Bola cannot use the courts to escape the judgment of Nigerians at the ballot box.
Atiku Abubakar
Vice President of Nigeria, 1999–2007
Sokoto, Nigeria
6 November 2026— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) November 6, 2026
He insisted that the ruling could not override the choice of Nigerians at the polls, maintaining that he would remain on the ballot and continue his campaign.
The former vice-president also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to create a one-party state through political pressure, court actions and alleged efforts to manipulate the voters’ register with artificial intelligence-generated photographs, false names and fictitious identities.
“Let no one mistake the latest court ruling for the will of the Nigerian people. 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.
“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,” Atiku said.
Atiku questioned why a party that claims to have the support of 32 governors and politicians from other parties would seek to weaken its opponents rather than rely on its electoral record.
He criticised the Tinubu administration over the removal of fuel subsidies, the depreciation of the naira, rising food prices, business closures and worsening insecurity, arguing that these developments had increased the hardship faced by Nigerians.
Atiku said the economic difficulties affecting households across the country remained central to his campaign, which promises to make living more affordable.
“And what record do they have to defend? 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,” he said.
He also rejected suggestions that the court judgment would force him to abandon his presidential ambition, assuring supporters that he would remain in the contest despite what he described as attempts to intimidate and frustrate the opposition.
The former vice-president called on ADC supporters to remain peaceful, united and committed to mobilising voters, insisting that the party would challenge any move to restrict political competition.
He maintained that Nigeria’s democracy must accommodate multiple political parties and urged the ruling party to face opposition candidates in a free and credible election.
“Let me be clear to every Nigerian who has stood with us: I am in this race. I am not going anywhere. We will be on the ballot. No threat, blackmail or court manoeuvre will make me abandon you or the cause we share.
“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.”
Atiku said his campaign would continue across the country, with its focus on the rising cost of living and the need to improve economic conditions.
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He concluded that Tinubu could not use the courts to avoid the verdict Nigerians would deliver through their votes in 2027.
“Our campaign will continue. Our message on the cost of living will not be silenced or derailed. Stay calm, united and resolute. Together, we will fight for a Nigeria where life is affordable and every citizen’s vote counts.
“Let me say this plainly: Bola cannot use the courts to escape the judgment of Nigerians at the ballot box,” he stated.
