ABUJA, NIGERIA — Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has made a startling admission, expressing deep regret for his instrumental role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Speaking at a consultative meeting with various political stakeholders in Abuja on Thursday, February 26, 2026, the Waziri of Adamawa described the creation of the ruling party as a “historic mistake” that has led Nigeria into its current state of economic and security paralysis.
The Architect’s Remorse
Atiku was a key figure in the 2013 merger that brought together the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to unseat the then-ruling PDP. However, looking ahead to the 2027 election cycle, the former Vice President suggested the “change” promised a decade ago has turned into a “calamity.”
“I admit I regret my involvement in the formation of the APC,” Atiku told the gathering. “We thought we were building a platform for progress, but instead, we birthed a system that has weaponised poverty and institutionalised selective justice.”
A Nation in Freefall
Atiku’s comments align with a growing chorus of dissent from across the political spectrum. Just hours before his address, Chief Ralph Nwosu of the ADC warned that over 150 million Nigerians can no longer afford to eat, while Buba Galadima highlighted the imprisonment of Nasir El-Rufai and Abubakar Malami as evidence of a “selective” political purge.
The former Vice President pointed to the deteriorating security situation—specifically the 10,000 bandits reported in Bauchi and the Lakurawa mosque massacres in Kebbi—as proof that the current administration’s “restructuring” of the security architecture, including the move for State Police, is “too little, too late.”
The 2027 Coalition?
Atiku’s public disavowal of the APC is seen by analysts as the first major move toward a “Grand Opposition Alliance” for 2027. He urged opposition figures to stop “playing politics” while the country wastes away under a “shadow regency” managed by Nuhu Ribadu and the First Lady.
“The Bola Tinubu administration is using state institutions against its rivals,” Atiku added, echoing Ralph Nwosu’s recent allegations. “We must unite to correct the mistake of 2015 before there is no country left to govern.”
A Fractured Legacy
While the Presidency continues to defend its record with “carpet, not cancer” health updates and a $9 million U.S. lobbying fund, Atiku’s “mea culpa” has shifted the narrative. For the man who helped build the APC house, the conclusion is now clear: the house is on fire, and he is ready to help lead the evacuation.
