CLAIM: That Abubakar Atiku has decamped to the African Democratic Party (ADP), as Peter Obi clinches the ADC presidential ticket. VERDICT: False. Atiku remains in ADC, and the party is yet to conduct its primaries for the presidential election. FULL STORY A claim has been circulating on social media alleging that Atiku Abubakar, former presidential
CLAIM: That Abubakar Atiku has decamped to the African Democratic Party (ADP), as Peter Obi clinches the ADC presidential ticket.
VERDICT: False. Atiku remains in ADC, and the party is yet to conduct its primaries for the presidential election.
FULL STORY
A claim has been circulating on social media alleging that Atiku Abubakar, former presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has switched from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the African Democratic Party. It also suggests that Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has secured the ADC’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 Presidential election.
X handle @ADCnews made the post on February 1, 2025. It reads, “Atiku has decamp (sic) to ADP as Obi-Kwankwaso get ADC ticket.”
Some comments on the post have expressed confusion, doubts, and uncertainty.
X user @andrewokeke comment reads “If this is true, Atiku is working for Tinubu”. Another comment by @omoadeking reads, “They all go where favor them. Political parties are business organisations. Political parties can’t choose who to lead us”
Since appearing on social media, the post has gathered 191,000 views, almost 2000 likes, and 141 reposts.
A screenshot of the post
NDRFactCheck found this claim to be false.
On July 14th, 2025, Nigeria’s former Vice President and the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate announced his resignation from the party ahead of the 2027 elections. He admitted to forming a coalition within the ADC, citing reasons such as ongoing internal crises, irreconcilable differences, and claiming that major parties like the APC and PDP do not offer real solutions to Nigeria’s problems.
After resigning, he formally became a member of the ADC on November 24, marking a significant shift in Nigeria’s opposition politics before the 2027 general elections.
Atiku previously led the initiative to endorse the ADC in July, positioning it as a unified platform for opposition politicians such as Peter Obi and Babachir Lawal. Nevertheless, at that time, he and other prominent opposition leaders postponed officially registering with the party.
Similarly, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi defected from the party and subsequently announced his decision to join the ADC. He announced the decision on Wednesday, 31st December 2025, during a political rally at the Nike Lake Resort Hotel in Enugu.
He stated that he was simply formalising his ADC membership, not defecting, since he had participated in discussions that led to forming the opposition coalition, which selected ADC as its platform for the 2027 general election.
So far, the ADC is yet to make any official announcement regarding its National Convention, nor the party’s primary elections to determine its flag bearer; hence, Peter Obi nor any other person is yet to get the party’s ticket.
Additionally, if Atiku left the ADC to join the ADP, announcements would have been made, just like he did when he left the PDP to join the ADC.
A keyword search through the former vice president’s social media pages and reliable media platforms shows that the claim is false.
As the 2027 electioneering period draws nearer, members of the public are advised to ensure verification of facts before they share.
CONCLUSION
The claim that Atiku joined ADP and Peter Obi secured the ADC presidential ticket is false. Neither has announced interest in running in the upcoming election.
