{"id":6252,"date":"2026-05-28T06:40:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T06:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/home\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election"},"modified":"2026-05-30T10:38:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T10:38:05","slug":"atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election","title":{"rendered":"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press. <\/strong> <\/span>The main opposition party in Nigeria, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has selected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate for the 2027 presidential elections, paving the way for a new political confrontation with current President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is seeking a second term after winning the ruling party’s primary elections.<\/p>\n

Abubakar, 79, was chosen following his victory in the ADC’s primary elections, where he secured over 1.846 million votes out of a total of 2.5 million, according to a statement from the party, which was reviewed by a local source on the X platform.<\/p>\n

This marks Abubakar’s seventh attempt to reach the presidency, having previously run unsuccessfully six times since 1993.<\/p>\n

Abubakar is considered one of the prominent political figures in Nigeria, having served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.<\/p>\n

In a statement posted on the X platform, Abubakar expressed gratitude for being chosen as the party’s candidate, emphasizing that “the real work begins now” and calling for the opposition to unite against what he described as the “destructive grip” of the ruling All Progressives Congress party.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu is preparing for the upcoming elections, backed by the ruling party, after achieving a landslide victory in the party’s primary elections, where he received approximately 11 million votes compared to just 16,500 for his competitor Stanley Osifo, according to results reported by a news agency earlier this month.<\/p>\n

Tinubu assumed office in 2023 after elections that saw a sharp division within the opposition, managing to win with only 36.6% of the votes against three prominent candidates, which resulted in a split of the opposition votes.<\/p>\n

During his first term, Tinubu launched a series of economic reforms that received praise from investors and international financial institutions, including the removal of fuel and electricity subsidies, currency liberalization, and extensive tax reforms.<\/p>\n

However, these measures have led to rising inflation and living costs, sparking increasing public discontent.<\/p>\n

The ADC aims to position itself as the primary umbrella for the Nigerian opposition, especially amid declining popularity of other parties and internal divisions.<\/p>\n

In recent months, the party has attempted to attract prominent opposition figures, including Rabiu Kwankwaso and Peter Obi, who finished third and fourth respectively in the 2023 presidential elections, with the goal of forming a united front against Tinubu.<\/p>\n

However, both men later left to join another party, the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), raising concerns about a repeat of the 2023 election scenario, where the fragmentation of opposition votes led to Tinubu’s victory.<\/p>\n

Abubakar also faces the challenge of expanding his electoral base beyond Northern Nigeria, where he traditionally holds influence, while Peter Obi maintains a strong presence among youth and urban populations, despite internal crises facing his former party, the Labour Party.<\/p>\n

In his speech following his party’s endorsement, Atiku Abubakar launched a sharp attack on the government, accusing it of attempting to stifle democracy and undermine the opposition’s work through the use of state institutions and security agencies.<\/p>\n

He stated in the speech, which was reviewed by a local source, that most opposition parties suffer from “engineered leadership crises” orchestrated by the government and the Independent National Electoral Commission, as well as elements within the judiciary, asserting that the government exerts pressure on opposition politicians to force them into joining the ruling party.<\/p>\n

He also pointed to what he termed “political targeting” of opposition figures, including Nasir El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State (2015-2023), who he claimed was detained despite court orders for his release.<\/p>\n

Abubakar warned against any attempts to interfere in his party’s affairs or disrupt its political activities, asserting that the opposition would confront such moves “firmly.”<\/p>\n

Abubakar dedicated a significant portion of his speech to outlining the features of his electoral program, which he stated is based on clear national plans and specific timelines, focusing on security, education, the economy, healthcare, and power-sharing among regions.<\/p>\n

Security and Violence Prevention<\/b><\/p>\n

The opposition candidate deemed Nigeria to be experiencing “the worst wave of insecurity in its history,” accusing the government of failing to halt the killings and violence occurring in vast areas of the country.<\/p>\n

Atiku Abubakar promised decisive actions to enhance security, including expanding recruitment in the armed forces and police, providing modern equipment, improving the conditions of security personnel, and enhancing coordination and intelligence sharing among various security institutions.<\/p>\n

He linked addressing the security crisis to improving education and the economy, asserting that providing job opportunities and education for youth is essential for achieving long-term stability.<\/p>\n

Education and School Reconstruction<\/b><\/p>\n

Regarding education, Atiku Abubakar stated that over 20 million Nigerian children of school age are out of school, deeming this situation “unacceptable” in a country the size of Nigeria.<\/p>\n

He pledged to implement free and compulsory education at both primary and secondary levels, invest in leadership, technological skills, and entrepreneurship, as well as rehabilitate educational infrastructure and improve teachers’ conditions.<\/p>\n

Economy and Energy<\/b><\/p>\n

Abubakar criticized the current government’s economic performance, arguing that the reforms it adopted have not positively impacted citizens’ lives but rather exacerbated poverty and increased living costs.<\/p>\n

He condemned the policy of external borrowing, noting that external debt has reached approximately $30 billion over the past three years, accusing the government of awarding contracts to close associates without transparency or fair competition.<\/p>\n

He affirmed that his government, if elected, would work to remove barriers to local and foreign investments, improve the energy and electricity sector as a prerequisite for achieving industrialization, economic growth, and job creation.<\/p>\n

He also called for the privatization of some state assets and the expansion of administrative decentralization, allowing states to have broader powers in managing their economic and developmental affairs.<\/p>\n

Healthcare<\/b><\/p>\n

In the healthcare sector, Abubakar criticized the government’s low spending on healthcare, pointing out that the Federal Ministry of Health received only 30 million Naira (about $22,000) for capital expenditures during the last fiscal year.<\/p>\n

He pledged to expand investment in primary healthcare, develop specialized medical centers within the country to reduce citizens’ travel abroad for treatment, and encourage the private sector to establish advanced medical facilities.<\/p>\n

The Independent National Electoral Commission in Nigeria has announced the timeline for the upcoming general elections, setting February 20, 2027, as the date for the presidential and legislative elections, with state gubernatorial elections scheduled for March 6 of the same year.<\/p>\n

According to the announced schedule, official campaign activities will begin in September 2026, while the period between May and June 2026 has been designated for conducting primary elections within political parties and resolving related disputes.<\/p>\n

As Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar officially enter the presidential race, Nigeria appears to be heading toward an early electoral battle centered on issues of the economy, security, and living costs, amid ongoing divisions within the opposition ranks and the ruling party’s efforts to maintain power.<\/p>\n

Find more news and analyses on Africa<\/span> on the Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press. The main opposition party in Nigeria, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has selected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate for the 2027 presidential elections, paving the way for a new political confrontation with current President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is seeking a second term after winning the ruling party’s primary elections. Abubakar, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":6250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[120],"class_list":{"0":"post-6252","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-policy","8":"tag-africa"},"yoast_head":"\nAtiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election - Africa Press English<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"-article-header-tag"> Africa-Press. The main opposition party in Nigeria, the ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"-article-header-tag"> Africa-Press. The main opposition party in Nigeria, the ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Africa Press English\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-28T06:40:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-30T10:38:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/africa-home\/sites\/69\/2026\/05\/sm_1780137037.56405.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1053\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-28T06:40:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-30T10:38:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election\"},\"wordCount\":1146,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/africa-home\/sites\/69\/2026\/05\/sm_1780137037.56405.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Africa\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election\",\"name\":\"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election - Africa Press English\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/africa-home\/sites\/69\/2026\/05\/sm_1780137037.56405.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-28T06:40:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-30T10:38:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"description\":\"-article-header-tag\\\"> Africa-Press. The main opposition party in Nigeria, the ...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/africa-home\/sites\/69\/2026\/05\/sm_1780137037.56405.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/africa-home\/sites\/69\/2026\/05\/sm_1780137037.56405.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1053,\"caption\":\"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Africa Press English\",\"description\":\"\u0623\u0648\u0644 \u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639 \u0625\u0641\u0631\u064a\u0642\u064a \u064a\u0643\u062a\u0628 \u0628\u0644\u063a\u0629 \u0628\u0644\u062f\u0627\u0646\u0647\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\",\"name\":\"cfeditoren\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election - Africa Press English","description":"-article-header-tag\"> Africa-Press. The main opposition party in Nigeria, the ...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election","og_description":"-article-header-tag\"> Africa-Press. The main opposition party in Nigeria, the ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election","og_site_name":"Africa Press English","article_published_time":"2026-05-28T06:40:19+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-30T10:38:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1053,"url":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/africa-home\/sites\/69\/2026\/05\/sm_1780137037.56405.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"cfeditoren","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"cfeditoren","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election"},"author":{"name":"cfeditoren","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb"},"headline":"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election","datePublished":"2026-05-28T06:40:19+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-30T10:38:05+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election"},"wordCount":1146,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/africa-home\/sites\/69\/2026\/05\/sm_1780137037.56405.jpg","keywords":["Africa"],"articleSection":["Policy"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election","name":"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election - Africa Press English","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/africa-home\/sites\/69\/2026\/05\/sm_1780137037.56405.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-28T06:40:19+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-30T10:38:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb"},"description":"-article-header-tag\"> Africa-Press. The main opposition party in Nigeria, the ...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/africa-home\/sites\/69\/2026\/05\/sm_1780137037.56405.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/africa-home\/sites\/69\/2026\/05\/sm_1780137037.56405.jpg","width":1920,"height":1053,"caption":"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/policy\/atiku-abubakar-to-run-in-nigerias-2027-election#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Atiku Abubakar to Run in Nigeria\u2019S 2027 Election"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/","name":"Africa Press English","description":"\u0623\u0648\u0644 \u0645\u0648\u0642\u0639 \u0625\u0641\u0631\u064a\u0642\u064a \u064a\u0643\u062a\u0628 \u0628\u0644\u063a\u0629 \u0628\u0644\u062f\u0627\u0646\u0647","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb","name":"cfeditoren"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6252"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6280,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6252\/revisions\/6280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}