Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has officially registered as a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), formalizing a major political shift just over a year before Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Atiku, 78, announced the move on Monday via his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
He posted a photo of himself holding his new ADC membership card, accompanied by the simple caption: “It’s official.”
Earlier this year, in July, Atiku resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In his resignation letter, he criticised the party for straying from its founding ideals, citing what he called “irreconcilable differences.”
Although he was instrumental in pushing the ADC as the platform for a broader opposition coalition working alongside figures like Peter Obi and Babachir Lawal, Atiku and other key leaders had delayed formal registration.
His official move today ends that speculation.
Atiku completed his ADC registration in Jada Ward 1, Adamawa State, where he collected his membership card in a high-profile event.
He was formally registered by Senator Sadiq Yar’Adua, the National Secretary of the ADC’s Registration and Mobilisation Committee.
Upon collecting his card, Atiku declared, now I have picked my membership card of the ADC. Now, the real opposition has begun. We will chase the APC out of government.”
Atiku’s formal entry into the ADC strengthens a coalition formed by prominent opposition figures determined to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
ADC’s leadership, particularly David Mark, the party’s national chairman, said the alliance is about more than power: it is a strategic mission to rebuild Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
Political analysts view Atiku’s move as a signal that he is fully committed to the ADC coalition, dispelling earlier doubts about his long-term engagement.
His formal membership could galvanize the party’s structure in several states, boost grassroots mobilization, and help consolidate opposition forces ahead of the 2027 vote.
Atiku has long been a veteran of Nigeria’s political realignments, having switched parties multiple times.
