Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has formally joined the coalition party, the African Democratic Party (ADC), just 17 months before the 2027 general elections.
The 78-year-old announced his membership on Monday in a brief post on his X handle, sharing photos of himself holding the party’s card with the caption, “It’s official.”
Before this move, Atiku had been a prominent figure in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He resigned from the PDP on July 16, citing irreconcilable differences and saying the party had drifted away from the principles it once upheld.
Although Atiku led the coalition’s adoption of the ADC in July as the platform for opposition forces to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027, he and other key figures—including Peter Obi and Babachir Lawal — had delayed formally registering with the party. Their absence at the opening of the ADC National Secretariat in Wuse, Abuja, further fueled speculation about the commitment of coalition leaders to unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
The opposition coalition officially adopted the ADC as its platform on July 2, 2025, declaring its mission to rescue the country and restore democratic governance.
“This coalition of national political opposition groups is not just about seizing power. It is a united effort to rebuild the weakening pillars of Nigeria’s democracy. The mission is clear: Rescue Nigeria. Rebuild Nigeria. Return power to the people,” said ADC Chairman and former Senate President, David Mark.
Mark also accused the APC-led Federal Government of hijacking democratic institutions and steering the country toward “a creeping descent into total civilian dictatorship” over the past two years, adding that the administration had become consumed by politics at the expense of governance.
