THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed confidence that a joint ticket of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, will defeat the incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 general election.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated this in an exclusive interview with Nigerian Tribune.

The ADC spokesman argued that Nigerians who had endured hardship under the current APC administration would vote for change.

“It has become very clear that we will have Atiku-Amaechi, Tinubu-Shetima, and Obi-Kwankwaso on the ballot in 2027,” he said.

When asked what gave the ADC that confidence that Atiku-Amaechi joint ticket would unseat Tinubu -Shettima in 2027, he responded that it is the Nigerian people themselves who will decide. “It’s obvious. It’s the Nigerians that will remove him,” he said.

According to him, the suffering caused by the policies of the Tinubu administration over the last three years makes it unlikely that voters will endorse another four-year term.

“Because it is Nigerians who have suffered from the bad policy of the APC government under President Bola Tinubu that will get him out of power in 2027,” Abdullahi stated.

“It is difficult to imagine Nigerians will vote for the same suffering that they have endured in the last three years and want it to continue for another four years. It is not possible,” he said.

The ADC spokesman said his party represented the only credible alternative at the moment, and that is why the party is backing the Atiku-Amaechi ticket.

“That is why we say it is only the African Democratic Congress today that represents a real alternative. So, that is why we are confident that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi ticket will beat President Bola Tinubu in 2027,” he said.

Abdullahi pointed to insecurity, hunger and widespread poverty as evidence of the administration’s failure.

He described the current hardship as “almost unprecedented in the history of the country.”

He cited a recent report warning that 17 million Nigerians are at risk of starvation. “Last week or so, we read a report saying that 17 million Nigerians are at risk of starvation. It has never happened in this country before.

“17 million is the population of many West African countries put together. But you have not heard a single statement from this government on how they are going to cushion the effect of this suffering on the Nigerian people. So, why would Nigerians vote for them again?” he said.

The ADC spokesman also alleged that the ruling party plans to manipulate the 2027 election. “We know they will do whatever it takes. They want to rig this election. But Nigerians will be ready for that,” he said.

Asked about his take on the brief extension of the deadline by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for parties to upload candidates for Presidential and National Assembly elections to midnight on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 after an appeal by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on behalf of parties that could not meet the initial timeline, Abdullahi welcomed it and called it a good development.

“If this extension had not happened, we would still have somehow found a way to meet the deadline. We welcome the extension,” he said. (TRIBUNE)