FACT-CHECK: Claim That Atiku has Stepped Down for Peter Obi Ahead of The 2027 Election is False!
BY: Eniola Amadu
Claim:
A user on X, has claimed that former Nigeria Vice President and the Presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election, Atiku Abubakar has stepped down for Obi.
Verdict:
False.
Full Text:
A user on X named @Ifeanyiakorjuru has posted on her page announcing that the former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has stepped down his presidential ambition for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
She further described the purported act as “a great sacrifice”.
FALSE CLAIM
Screenshot of the claim
Who is Peter Obi?
Peter Obi is a Nigerian politician and former governor of Anambra State. He served as governor from 2006 to 2013 and later became the vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election.
In 2022, Obi joined the Labour Party (LP) and contested the 2023 presidential election, where he finished third behind Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar.
Due to the Labour Party internal crisis and in preparation for the 2027 general election, he left the Labour Party for the African Democratic congress (ADC), and later moved on to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in May, 2026.
Atiku Abubakar:
Atiku Abubakar is a Nigerian politician who served as Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Atiku was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections, finishing second in both.
Following the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) crisis, Atiku dumped the party for ADC in July 2025, after which he emerged as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 general election.
The discrepancy in the political party affiliations stated in the claim, warrants verification.
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica subjected this claim to verification checking the credible media outlets such as Premium Times, Daily Trust, Punch for news supporting the claim and found none.
Further checks through the X page of the former Nigerian Vice-President Atiku Abubakar revealed that such a decision was not taken by the former VP and found no announcement of the ADC Presidential aspirant step down for Peter Obi. The same was for the ADC website.
Conclusion:
Claim that former Nigeria Vice President and the Presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election, Atiku Abubakar has stepped down for Obi is False.
