Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), marking his sixth political party switch in nearly four decades — and possibly the most strategic one yet. The move comes 130 days after he walked away from the PDP, the platform on which he had pursued the presidency twice without success.
At 79, with the next elections just two years away, Atiku’s decision has ignited intense debate. By 2027, he will be 81 — prompting analysts to question whether the veteran politician is gearing up for one last historic push or stepping into yet another uncertain gamble.
Atiku registered with the ADC in his hometown, Jada, describing the move as the beginning of “a decisive national rescue mission” to end what he calls years of APC misrule. He warned that Nigeria has reached a tipping point under the current administration, and said only a coordinated national effort can pull the country back from the brink.
But not everyone is impressed.
Former APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, dismissed Atiku’s move, arguing that someone who couldn’t fix the PDP cannot hope to fix Nigeria. Atiku fired back almost immediately through his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, accusing Oshiomhole of “weaponizing noise to distract Nigerians from APC’s monumental failures.”
Shaibu argued that unlike the APC — which he described as a political empire controlled by a single power centre — the PDP was never run as a private fiefdom. He said Atiku operated within a democratic structure, not a one-man show.
Beyond the heated back-and-forth, Atiku’s political footprint tells its own story.
From his early days with Shehu Musa Yar’Adua’s political movement to contesting primaries in the Third Republic, serving as Vice President, and navigating multiple defections across the PDP, AC, and APC — Atiku has remained one constant: determined.
His repeated presidential bids, his clashes with Obasanjo, his return to PDP after contesting under AC, his role in the formation of APC, and his re-defection back to PDP all underscore his reputation as one of Nigeria’s most resilient political figures.
Now aligned with the ADC and a new opposition coalition, Atiku is once again positioning himself for a national comeback — insisting that the move is not just about ambition but about rebuilding a country in crisis.
Whether this latest chapter will be the one that finally lands him the presidency remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Atiku Abubakar is not stepping away from the political battlefield anytime soon.