₦airaland Forum

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has put on hold his planned collection of the African Democratic Congress membership card, amid growing speculation that former President Goodluck Jonathan may join the 2027 presidential race and he is being courted by the ADC.

Atiku, who recently resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party after prolonged internal disputes, was scheduled to formalise his defection to ADC with the collection of his membership card.

The membership card would be presented to Atiku by ADC officials at his hometown of Jada, in the Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

However, Sunday PUNCH gathered that the ceremony, which was slated for Wednesday, August 6, was postponed indefinitely without an official explanation from the former vice president’s camp.

This is even as a chieftain of ADC told Sunday PUNCH that the party had been holding discreet talks with Jonathan over a possible presidential run in 2027.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the ADC Chairman of the Adamawa State chapter, Shehu Yohana, said Atiku’s formal reception into the party had been postponed without a new date.


“I spoke with the former vice president on the phone Friday morning, and he told me he has shifted the event to mid-August, but no specific date was mentioned.

“From the way things are going, due to one issue or the other, the event may get to September.

“He (Atiku) said that he was waiting for some All Progressives Congress governors who are planning to join ADC to decamp before his event in Jada,” Shehu said.



Tension over Atiku, Obi, Jonathan

Meanwhile, a chieftain of ADC at the national level, who did not want his name in print, told Sunday PUNCH that the postponement may not be unconnected with the power tussle between Atiku and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.

The party chieftain alleged that the Obi political movement had hijacked ADC structures in the South, a situation, he said, had put Atiku’s presidential ambition under threat.

“From all indications, if things did not work out well for Atiku within few weeks to come, I see him defecting to the Social Democratic Party,” he stated.

The party chieftain added that the suspension of Kaduna State’s former governor, Nasir El-Rufai, from SDP stemmed from the fear that Atiku may return and form what he described as a “political cartel” in the SDP.

Sunday PUNCH further gathered that the various Atiku support groups in the ADC have been pressuring their leaders to exit the party if the crisis persists. This, Sunday PUNCH learnt, may also not be unconnected with the rumoured planned comeback of ex-President Jonathan for the 2027 presidential election.

A principal member of the ADC said the party had been holding talks with Jonathan to join the party.

“We are talking to him (Jonathan), and we are getting a positive response from him so far. I can assure you that he is not going to contest under the PDP; he knows the problem there. Does he want to wrestle with Wike who has the grip on the party? The former President is a gentleman and a refined politician,” the party chieftain said.

He added: “The leaders of the coalition have met him about three times, and the ex-President appreciates their efforts to rescue the country from the current economic quagmire occasioned by President Bola Tinubu’s bad policies. He recalled how he left the country, and things have now gone worse.”

Asked if the former President would be given an automatic presidential ticket, the ADC chieftain said, “When we get to the bridge, we will know how to cross it.”

When contacted for confirmation, the spokesperson for the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, simply said, “ADC is open to everybody and we look forward to having every Nigerian who is ready to rescue the country from this hardship.”

Sunday PUNCH notes that Jonathan’s campaign posters have surfaced on the social media with some pitching him with Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, and ex-governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as running mates.

However, Jonathan’s wife, Patience, declared on May 11 this year that she would not seek a return to the Aso Rock Villa, but support the current First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, for the 2027 general elections.

Mrs Jonathan, while accepting the Women Icon Leader of the Year 2025 award from Accolade Dynamics Limited in Abuja, said, “All the way, we are with you (Tinubu). No shaking. We will follow. Direct us, and we will follow. Because there is only one president at a time. We don’t have two presidents.

“I believe in one president. I believe in turn-by-turn. When it’s your turn, I will support you. When it’s not your turn, step back—so that the country can move forward,” she said.



Atiku not afraid of Jonathan, Obi

However, Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, insisted that the former vice president is not threatened by the political ambitions of any potential rival, including Jonathan and Obi.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, Ibe also dismissed the speculation that Atiku had suspended plans to formally pick up his ADC membership card due to rumoured talks between the party and Jonathan, saying that the process of Atiku’s registration was ongoing and unchanged.

“Nothing has changed; we don’t want to give mischief-makers an opportunity. Atiku Abubakar registered as a member of the ADC in Jada ward of Jada Local Government Area, Adamawa State, and the process is still on, so nothing has been suspended,” Ibe said.

According to him, Atiku is a democrat who welcomes competition and will not be intimidated by anyone’s decision to run for president.

“Atiku is a democrat, and he cannot be threatened by anyone’s ambition. The beauty of democracy is that the minority will have its say, and then the majority will have its way. There will always be choices.

“Unlike what Tinubu is currently doing, using the instruments of state to lead everybody into a one-party dictatorship, Atiku will not be coming from where he is, where he feels that what Tinubu and the APC are doing is not democratic, and would want to prevent anyone from declaring their ambition,” he added.

Ibe said the former vice president’s priority was to work with other Nigerians of goodwill to provide the country with a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

“He (Atiku) will work with other men and women of goodwill to try to give Nigerians an opportunity other than the APC and Tinubu. And then, he will not be threatened or feel threatened or worried because somebody has joined the race or decided to join the race, because all of this is just speculation.

“So, the more the merrier, it is democracy at work. I mean, let people who are throwing their hats into the ring, those who feel that they have something to offer, let them join it.

“Atiku will not feel threatened by anybody deciding on their own volition to join the race. Though we don’t want to give legitimacy to the speculations, Atiku will not be threatened by anyone, either Jonathan or any other person who has decided to join the race. The more the merrier, so that Nigerians can make informed decisions,” Ibe said.



Tinubu behind ADC crisis

Meanwhile, a chieftain of the ADC, who craved anonymity because he did not have the authourisation of the party to speak on its behalf, has accused the President Bola Tinubu government of working behind the scenes to frustrate Atiku’s ADC ambitions.

According to him, the APC is scared of Atiku and has vowed to sponsor all manner of agitations against him and the ADC.

He said, “The only person they (Presidency) are scared of is Atiku Abubakar. They don’t want him on the ballot. That is why they are doing everything to infiltrate the ranks of the ADC and cause unnecessary tension within the party.

“What Tinubu and his supporters want is a free ride to the 2027 election, and that is why they are scared of Atiku. What they don’t know is that the elections will be between Nigerians and the APC. Having gone through avoidable pains in the past two years, Nigerians know exactly what they want in 2027, and no amount of intimidation can make them back out of their resolve to vote out the incompetent APC.”

According to the party chieftain, the Presidency does not see Obi as a threat. He noted that with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, wielding considerable influence in the PDP, Obi might find it difficult to clinch the party’s ticket.

“They want Peter Obi and other southerners to run because they know that Bola Tinubu will be the strongest candidate of them all, if Atiku is not on the ballot. They are wooing Peter Obi to PDP, but there is no way the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, will allow Obi to have the party’s ticket,” he added.

Also speaking to Sunday PUNCH, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the APC of plotting to destabilise the coalition structure ahead of the 2027 election in a bid to have a smooth electioneering ride.

Abdullahi vowed that the party would resist every form of sponsored attacks against it, noting that the task of sweeping away the APC-led government in 2027 must be done.

Since the change of guard, which saw David Mark replace Ralph Nwosu as ADC National Chairman, the party has known no peace with some ex-state chapter chairmen, criticising the manner in which Mark and his interim executive took over the administration of the party.

Asked if the ruling party was behind the protest against the Mark-led executive, the publicity scribe said, “We have repeatedly maintained this. All these things you see have become an enterprise. They hold press conferences to say they are challenging the leadership of David Mark. This has become a good business for them.

“They are wasting their resources and their time. We know the people behind this. It is either that the people are sponsoring them, or they are holding the press conferences to attract attention from those who will give them money. For us, we are not bothered about this. They should continue to entertain themselves.”

“I spoke with the former vice president on the phone Friday morning, and he told me he has shifted the event to mid-August, but no specific date was mentioned.

“He (Atiku) said that he was waiting for some All Progressives Congress governors who are planning to join ADC to decamp before his event in Jada,” Shehu said.

He added: “The leaders of the coalition have met him about three times, and the ex-President appreciates their efforts to rescue the country from the current economic quagmire occasioned by President Bola Tinubu’s bad policies. He recalled how he left the country, and things have now gone worse.”

He said, “The only person they (Presidency) are scared of is Atiku Abubakar. They don’t want him on the ballot. That is why they are doing everything to infiltrate the ranks of the ADC and cause unnecessary tension within the party.

TimeManager:
It's quite pathetic that a veteran like Atiku could find himself in this kind of a mess despite years of wealth of experience. He was an active participant during the inception of APC, he saw how everything went smoothly, neither did party was divided among any of the contestants or their supporters leading to the primaries. Buhari, Kwankwaso, Atiku, Okorocha kept one house going into the primaries. No one deployed media tactics to sway sympathy or attention to himself as we're witnessing in this coalition of confusion.
When Tinubu was doing it, they thought it was easy, now e reach their turn to do it, dey no fit. If it's not Panadol, e no fit be like Panadol.




I listened to ADC Chairman in Adamawa, he was saying " mark your calendar, August 6", Lol.



Then he will wait till he is 200years old. Oh poor Atiku!



What a shame, Jonathan being thrown into the picture yet again. So, these political IDPs do not even have a clear cut plan before announcing the coalition, they did out of emotion and unnecessary excitement of having a platform to challenge the President but leaving lots of leakages in their behind. We will be watching where this comedy film ends up.




For more jokes and daily comedy skits, send ATIKU to 121.


-Kiss the truth!

yarimo:
Peter obi what is going on na? Please hurry up and decamp to ADC Biko 😆

OLADD:
The joke is clearly on you and definitely not on Atiku. From your post, it's obvious you're a poor student of Nigerian political evolution. Contrary to your assertion, the journey to the formation of APC was not exactly smooth or devoid of acrimonies. All the major heavyweights from different blocs if you care to know, grandstood and held tight to their chances of picking the sole ticket till the day of the primaries. None of them agreed to step down for the other. Kwankwasso was about coasting home to victory until Tinubu stepped in and used everything in his arsenal to ensure Buhari's victory.

In a nutshell, APC's path to the presidency in 2015 was largely aided by the mood of the nation and their fathom change mantra which so many gullible Nigerians and non Nigerians alike (the CSOs, local and international media organizations, diplomatic missions, local and international pressure groups, foreign missions etc cheaply felt for.
The nation was unleashed with unprecedented propaganda and falsehoods such as it had never been witnessed in the annals of our history. These are some of the main factors that worked in their favour. Everything was not down to the ingenuities or skillsets of the founding fathers.

As for Atiku, I believe he's destined to rule the nation though the road has been rough. I believe his persistency will surely pay off, God willing.

yarimo:
Peter obi what is going on na? Please hurry up and decamp to ADC Biko 😆

TimeManager:
It's quite pathetic that a veteran like Atiku could find himself in this kind of a mess despite years of wealth of experience. He was an active participant during the inception of APC, he saw how everything went smoothly, neither did party was divided among any of the contestants or their supporters leading to the primaries. Buhari, Kwankwaso, Atiku, Okorocha kept one house going into the primaries. No one deployed media tactics to sway sympathy or attention to himself as we're witnessing in this coalition of confusion.
When Tinubu was doing it, they thought it was easy, now e reach their turn to do it, dey no fit. If it's not Panadol, e no fit be like Panadol.




I listened to ADC Chairman in Adamawa, he was saying " mark your calendar, August 6", Lol.



Then he will wait till he is 200years old. Oh poor Atiku!



What a shame, Jonathan being thrown into the picture yet again. So, these political IDPs do not even have a clear cut plan before announcing the coalition, they did out of emotion and unnecessary excitement of having a platform to challenge the President but leaving lots of leakages in their behind. We will be watching where this comedy film ends up.




For more jokes and daily comedy skits, send ATIKU to 121.


-Kiss the truth!

Shawarmagirl:
Jonathan is not a threat to either Atiku or Obi. Atiku and others delay to pick up the membership card of ADC is part of the plan to keep on confusing APC and keep them speculating.

yarimo:
Peter obi what is going on na? Please hurry up and decamp to ADC Biko 😆

Shawarmagirl:
Jonathan is not a threat to either Atiku or Obi. Atiku and others delay to pick up the membership card of ADC is part of the plan to keep on confusing APC and keep them speculating.