Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has debunked reports suggesting he intends to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race in favour of another aspirant.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said the claims were based on a distortion of his recent interview with the BBC Hausa Service. He clarified that his remarks about supporting younger candidates were being misrepresented by sections of the media.

“It has become necessary to clarify certain misrepresentations arising from the reportage of an interview granted by His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, to the BBC Hausa Service by some sections of the media,” the statement read.

According to Ibe, a review of the video and transcripts in both Hausa and English confirmed that Atiku never said he would step down for anyone. Instead, he emphasised that young people and other aspirants are free to contest.

“Atiku Abubakar stressed that if a young candidate were to emerge through a competitive primary, he would readily support such a candidate without hesitation,” Ibe explained, while cautioning against “interpretative journalism” being stretched “to the point of mischief.”

“For the records, therefore, the insinuations attributed to the Waziri Adamawa from his BBC Hausa interview are inaccurate and do not reflect what he actually said,” the statement concluded.