Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has debunked claims that he plans to step aside for another presidential aspirant in the build-up to the 2027 elections.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Atiku had stated that he would only withdraw from the race if a younger contender emerges victorious over him in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary.
“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,” he had said.
However, in a statement released on Thursday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku dismissed the reports, describing them as a distortion of his recent interview with the BBC Hausa Service.
Ibe clarified that a thorough review of the video and transcripts of the interview revealed that Atiku neither said nor implied any intention to step down for anyone.
The statement reads, “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.
“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 any hesitation.
“While interpretative journalism is a legitimate aspect of reporting, stretching interpretation to the point of mischief is unacceptable and must not be encouraged.
“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.”
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