The presidential candidate of the Action Democratic Party, ADP, Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas, has raised the alarm over alleged moves to alter the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
Abbas said he had received information suggesting that political pressure was being mounted around the party’s presidential candidacy.
He warned that any attempt to remove, replace or withdraw his name without his consent and without following due process would be unacceptable.
The ADP candidate made his position known in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Okpani Jacob Onjewu Dickson, and made available to journalists in Kaduna.
Abbas did not present independent evidence to establish the alleged plot. However, he said the information was serious enough to warrant public clarification and a firm reminder to party leaders about the rules guiding the nomination of candidates.
He insisted that he remains the candidate produced by the party’s recognised nomination process for the 2027 presidential election.
According to him, any action affecting the ticket must be carried out in line with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, the constitution of the ADP and the procedures recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
“Any attempt to secretly substitute, withdraw, replace or otherwise compromise my candidacy without my express consent and without strict adherence to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, the constitution and regulations of the ADP, and applicable INEC procedures would constitute a grave assault on democratic principles and the rights of our members and supporters,” he said.
The warning comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections. INEC has fixed February 20, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, with political parties already moving through different stages of their nomination and campaign activities.
Abbas said his emergence as the ADP presidential candidate was not the result of a private arrangement. He said it followed the process approved by the party.
The former political aide to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerged as the ADP presidential candidate after the party’s national convention in Abuja in May 2026.
Reports from the convention said the result was announced in the early hours of May 30.
His emergence came at a time of increasing political realignments ahead of the 2027 election. Several opposition parties are positioning themselves as alternatives to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, while politicians and political groups continue to build alliances ahead of the poll.
Abbas, however, has maintained that his presidential ambition is independent of his former political association with Atiku.
His campaign has been built around youth participation, national unity and what he describes as a new direction for the country.
“My mandate is not a personal possession of any individual, neither is it a political bargaining chip to be traded behind closed doors,” Abbas said.
He therefore appealed to the ADP National Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani, members of the National Working Committee, the Board of Trustees and state chairmen to protect the integrity of the party’s nomination process.
He specifically asked the party leadership to safeguard documents and records connected with the presidential primary.
These include records of the primary election, nomination documents, communications with INEC and other official correspondence relating to his emergence as the party’s presidential candidate.
Abbas said keeping those records intact would help prevent disputes and establish a clear account of how the party arrived at its presidential ticket.
The issue of candidate substitution is also governed by electoral law.
The Electoral Act 2026 provides that a political party cannot simply change or substitute a candidate whose name has been submitted to INEC, except in circumstances involving the candidate’s death or withdrawal.
Where such an event occurs, the law provides for another primary election to produce a replacement candidate.
The law also provides a procedure for a candidate who wishes to withdraw from an election. Such a candidate must submit a written notice, accompanied by a sworn affidavit, to the political party, which is then required to convey the documents to INEC within the period prescribed by law.
The legal framework has become particularly relevant in the build-up to the 2027 election after court proceedings challenged parts of INEC’s timetable for party primaries, candidate nomination and substitution.
A Federal High Court in Abuja ruled in May that INEC could not shorten statutory periods provided under the Electoral Act 2026 for candidate withdrawal and replacement.
INEC subsequently said it had appealed judgments raising questions over some aspects of its 2027 electoral timetable.
Against this background, Abbas said the ADP must ensure that any decision involving its presidential ticket is properly documented and carried out in line with the law.
He urged party members and supporters not to allow internal political interests to undermine the mandate produced through the party’s nomination process.
He also called on stakeholders to ensure that the rights of delegates, members and supporters are respected as preparations for the 2027 election continue.
“Our party belongs to its members. Our mandate belongs to the people. And our democracy belongs to Nigeria,” he said.
