By Poju Ezra
Differences among leading members and legacy groups within the over who to support for the party’s presidential ticket in the 2027 general election, rather than abate any moment soon, is worsening, an investigation has revealed.
Different groups within the ADC, according to multiple sources, are mobilizing their members ahead of the contest for the presidential ticket, with each positioning their preferred candidate to get the nomination.
Consequently, some prominent members of the ADC, who are believed to be in positions to influence the voting patterns of the various legacy groups, have come under immense pressure as the date for the party’s presidential nomination draws nearer.
CityScenes gathered that one of the leading options being considered by the ADC is to sponsor the pair of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as Presidential candidate and Mr. Peter Obi as his running mate.
Some other ADC leaders and stakeholders are suggesting Obi as presidential candidate and either of Nasiru El-Rufai or Musa Kwankwaso as running mate. There are also one or two other options being considered which includes drafting former Senate President David Mark and former governor of Odun State, Rauf Aregbesola into the race as candidates on the ticket.
Each group has been working relentlessly on how best to achieve their desires and get their preferred candidates on the ticket of the ADC.
But a fresh whiff of crisis is suspected to be emanating from the pro-Atiku camp with some of the most ardent supporters of the candidature of the former vice president threatening to abandon their support for him.
Sources within the party told CityScenes that the festering crisis may not be unconnected with the recent defection of one of the sons of the former vice president to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and his declaration to support the reelection plans of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Atiku’s son, Abba Abubakar, popularly known as Abba, recently resigned his membership of the PDP and announced his joining the APC,. Not a few persons were shocked by this move within an outside his father’s political camp.
The younger Atiku cited the leadership and ideological acumens of Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, as reasons for the shift. He was warmly received by APC leaders from the North-East.
In another shocking move, Abba renamed his Haske Atiku Organisation to Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation and directed all members to mobilize for Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
And while Atiku’s supporters were trying to make senses out of Abba’s acts, the former vice president publicly endorsed his son’s defection to the APC as a personal choice, distancing it from family coercion.
Disappointed by both Abba and his father, some of Atiku’s leading supporters within the ADC are allegedly backing out the pro-Atiku movement, arguing that Abba’s move may have damaged his father’s chances of winning the general election.
According to a former deputy governor from the northwest whose support for Atiku dates back to 2003, the failure of Atiku to keep his son within his political camp is a big problem ahead of the 2027 elections. *It is a big one and the effect on our camp is worrisome.
“We are losing sleep over it because some major persons are reading serious meaning to it. We already have people threatening to abandon the movement because they fear Atiku cannot win the general election of his son is one of those campaigning for Tinubu in the north,” he said.
Another well known Atiku campaigner from Kogi state who was in the Senate for a single term, also condemned Abba’s move and expressed concern over recent developments within the ADC. “Some of our people are no longer convinced Atiku has what it takes to win the general election. They are citing examples like Abba’s defection when arguing that he is no longer a sellable candidate,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, while ADC party officials are expressing concerns over the development and many of them are allegedly considering shopping for alternative candidates to Atiku, leaders of the ruling APC are hailing Abba’s move as a “bold and principled decision,” signaling a strategic boost for APC ahead of 2027 elections.
Atiku’s response to his son’s move to the APC continue to generate mixed reactions with many of his supporters and critics alike insisting he has lost control of not just his politics, but also his family. This, they argued, does not make his chances in 2027 quite attractive.
Some other pundits say Abba’s network can sway North-East votes toward Tinubu. More importantly, they say it is a blow to Atiku’s opposition stance.
But Atiku emphasized democratic freedoms in politics, stating he neither influences his children’s conscience. “Abba Abubakar’s choice to align with the APC reflects his individual conviction. In democracy, family-political crossovers spark no surprise. As a committed democrat, I respect personal choices—mine for my children and for every citizen.
“My priority remains tackling APC’s mismanagement, which fuels economic woes and social distress. With fellow patriots, I press on to deliver governance that restores hope,” Atiku said.
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