Atiku made his stance clear in a statement released on Tuesday by his media aide, Paul Ibe. The response followed remarks by Obi’s supporters, including Professor Pat Utomi and activist Aisha Yesufu, who had opposed suggestions that Obi should accept a vice-presidential slot within the coalition.
Dismissing any proposal that he should step down, Atiku warned that such demands pose a threat to Nigeria’s democratic process.
“Any call — overt or covert — for Atiku to ‘step aside’ is a gift to authoritarian ambition and a betrayal of the Nigerian people,” the statement said.
The former vice president accused the Bola Tinubu administration of constricting democratic freedoms and intentionally undermining opposition parties as part of a plan to impose what he described as a “creeping, de facto one-party state.”
“For nearly three years, Nigerians have endured one of the harshest periods in recent history — an era defined by punishing economic policies and shrinking democratic space,” the statement read. It added that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has worked to eliminate political alternatives through sustained pressure on opposition groups.
Atiku explained that opposition leaders embraced the ADC as a platform to counter this trend and present Nigerians with a viable alternative. He further alleged that individuals linked to the Presidency were attempting to destabilise the party by meddling in its internal processes, particularly the selection of a presidential candidate.
“Let it be stated plainly: the ADC is on a national rescue mission,” the statement said, emphasising the party’s commitment to “an open, transparent, and competitive process” in choosing its flagbearer.
He also cautioned against outside interference, declaring, “APC proxies and external meddlers have no standing to intimidate, blackmail, or sabotage this democratic resolve.”
According to Atiku, the party is currently focused on strengthening its grassroots presence across the country, and he urged what he described as “disruptors and infiltrators” to refrain from interfering with the process.
Reiterating that all qualified aspirants would be allowed to contest when the time comes, Atiku stated plainly: “No one is stepping down.”
He added that if anyone should withdraw, it should be President Tinubu, whom he labelled “a national liability,” while reaffirming that the ADC remains determined to confront the ruling party and “end the misfortune imposed by the Tinubu-led APC.”