Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has refuted claims that he plans to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race in favour of another aspirant.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku described the reports as a misrepresentation of his recent interview with the BBC Hausa Service.
According to Ibe, a careful review of the full video and transcript of the interview—both in the original Hausa and the English translation—shows that Atiku never said, suggested, or implied any intention to step down for another candidate.
“After a thorough review of both the video and transcripts of the interview—in the original Hausa and the English translation—it is evident that at no point did the former Vice President expressly state, suggest, or even imply that he intends to step down for anyone,” the statement read.
“What Atiku Abubakar clearly and unambiguously said was that young people, as well as other prospective presidential aspirants, are free to enter the contest. He further stressed that if a young candidate were to emerge through a competitive primary, he would readily support such a candidate without hesitation.”
Ibe criticised what he called an attempt to twist Atiku’s remarks, warning that such misinterpretations fall outside the bounds of responsible journalism.
“While interpretative journalism is a legitimate aspect of reporting, stretching interpretation to the point of mischief is unacceptable and must not be encouraged,” he said.
“For the record, therefore, the insinuations attributed to Waziri Adamawa from his BBC Hausa interview are inaccurate and do not reflect what he actually said.”
Earlier, The Telegraph reported that Atiku had expressed willingness to step aside if a younger aspirant were to defeat him in the race for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket in 2027.
In the interview, the former Vice President said he would not only accept such an outcome but also support and mentor the winning candidate.
“If I run for office, and a young man defeats me, I will accept that. The party we have joined now prioritises youth and women,” Atiku had said.
