A social media post has attributed a statement to Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, claiming he would step down for Peter Obi if Rabiu Kwankwaso withdrew as vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (ADC) to allow the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to produce a running mate.
The claim was shared by Oloh Achunike in the Facebook group Nigeria News – Headlines Today.
The post features a graphic bearing the words: “I will step down for Peter Obi if Kwankwaso will step away as vice so ADC can produce the vice-presidential candidate.”
A similar claim was shared by Abu Amir, an X user identified as @SadiqMaunde, on October 19, alongside a post suggesting that Atiku was preparing to step aside for the “OK ticket”, a reference to the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.
The posts imply that Atiku has agreed to withdraw his presidential ambition under a specific arrangement involving Obi and Kwankwaso.
BACKGROUND
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👉 JOIN GISTSMATE WHATSAPP CHANNELAtiku had previously expressed his willingness to support another aspirant who emerges as the ADC’s presidential candidate.
In an interview with Arise Television in April 2026, Atiku was asked whether he would step aside if Obi emerged as the ADC flagbearer.
Atiku had said the party could select its candidate by consensus or through an electoral process, stressing that he would support whoever won.
“Yes, I will step aside for any winner,” Atiku had said.
When asked whether this included Obi, he replied: “Of course, if he is a contender, why not?”
At the time Atiku made the statement, Obi was still an ADC member and was expected to contest the party’s presidential ticket, but he defected to the NDC in May 2026.
ATIKU’S SPOKESPERSON SPEAKS
Paul Ibe, Atiku’s spokesman, told CableCheck on Sunday that no aspirant should be compelled to withdraw from the race, adding that the opposition coalition was working towards a consensus arrangement ahead of the 2027 elections.
“No one should be forced to step down. Yes, the coalition group is at work to ensure that the opposition maximises the historic opportunity of the 2027 elections,” Ibe said.
“The infrastructure provided by the coalition group would eventually pave the way for the candidates to reach and embrace a consensus on the issue.”
Ibe’s comments point to ongoing efforts within the opposition coalition to reach an agreement on its candidates, but he did not confirm the specific claim in the viral post that Atiku had offered to step down for Obi on the condition that Kwankwaso vacated the vice-presidential position.
On October 16, Salihu Lukman, an ADC chieftain and convenor of G100, said opposition parties were making progress towards forming an alliance ahead of the general election.
VERDICT
Available reports reviewed by CableCheck do not substantiate the claim that Atiku said he would step down for Obi if Kwankwaso vacates the NDC vice-presidential position.
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