The ADC presidential candidate says past electoral setbacks have strengthened his resolve to pursue the presidency
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, in an interview with Jaji TV Hausa, made a bold declaration about his 2027 presidential ambition, saying his health, energy and experience would not allow previous electoral defeats to deter his bid for Nigeria’s presidency.
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Atiku, who secured the ADC presidential ticket in May, presented his long political journey as evidence of his resilience, recalling his unsuccessful attempts to become governor of Adamawa State before eventually winning and later becoming Vice President.
“I am fit, healthy and full of energy, nothing can stop me,” Atiku said during the interview.
He recalled that he had contested the Adamawa governorship election four times, with the military authorities cancelling the electoral processes on each occasion. Atiku said his fifth attempt eventually succeeded.
“It was only on my fifth attempt that I succeeded and became Vice President of Nigeria. This is nothing new in politics,” he said.
Atiku then drew a parallel with former United States President Abraham Lincoln, whose political career included significant electoral setbacks before his election as the 16th US president in 1860.
“How many times did Abraham Lincoln lose elections before he finally became President of the United States?” Atiku asked.
Lincoln’s political record was indeed marked by defeats and disappointments before his presidential victory.
He lost an Illinois state legislative contest in 1832 and later lost two bids for the US Senate, in 1858 and 1854, although his wider political career also included a successful term in the US House of Representatives.
For Atiku, the comparison reflects a broader argument that political defeat does not necessarily signal the end of a political career.
His own presidential journey has included unsuccessful bids in 2007, 2019 and 2023, alongside his earlier political campaigns.
The 2027 contest will nevertheless present a fresh challenge. Atiku is now operating under the ADC banner after years as a leading figure in the Peoples Democratic Party.
Atiku was formally nominated as the ADC’s presidential candidate at the party’s convention in Abuja on May 27, 2026.
In his acceptance speech, he described the nomination as a major responsibility and pledged to lead the opposition platform into the 2027 election.
His continued ambition has also featured prominently in debates about the opposition’s strategy.
Earlier this year, Atiku said the ADC’s presidential selection process should remain open and competitive, while indicating that the party’s eventual candidate should receive the support of the wider coalition.
The latest remarks therefore add a determined and personal dimension to an increasingly competitive political season.
By invoking Lincoln’s difficult path to the White House, Atiku is positioning persistence as a defining feature of his own political story.
Whether that resilience translates into electoral success in 2027 will ultimately depend on the strength of the ADC coalition, voter sentiment and the wider political contest.
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For now, Atiku’s message is unequivocal: previous defeats have not diminished his ambition.
