A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Solomon Dalung, has claimed that the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s political support base has been transferred to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Dalung, a former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, made the claim during an appearance on Channels Television, citing a recent visit by Buhari’s widow, Aisha, to Atiku’s residence in Abuja.
He described the visit as a political signal that supporters of the late president would back Atiku in the next election.
“The message she took for any politician to know is that the 12 million votes have been successfully transferred. We have had a phone call from the grave of Buhari that we should vote Atiku,” he said.
Dalung expressed confidence that Atiku, who is expected to fly the ADC flag in the 2027 presidential election, would defeat incumbent President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He argued that the former vice-president had a nationwide political structure and had inherited the support bases of former presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Buhari.
Buhari secured approximately 12.2 million votes in the 2011 presidential election under the Congress for Progressive Change before polling 15.4 million and 15.2 million votes in the 2015 and 2019 elections, respectively.
Dalung also dismissed the significance of large crowds at political rallies, arguing that genuine electoral support mattered more than what he described as rented crowds.
He insisted that Atiku would defeat Tinubu in 2027, regardless of what he described as possible attempts to frustrate the ADC’s participation in the election.
“I am confident that as events are unfolding, Tinubu, even if he would take over the ADC secretariat and stop ADC from campaigning, he cannot defeat Atiku Abubakar in 2027,” he said.
Atiku is expected to face Tinubu, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and other contenders in the 2027 presidential election.
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However, Dalung recently criticised the ADC leadership, accusing the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, of unilaterally appointing caretaker committees across states.
He argued that the appointments undermined a case pending before the Supreme Court and questioned the party’s commitment to winning the 2027 elections.
Dalung served as Minister of Sports and Youth Development under Buhari between November 2015 and May 2019.
Buhari, who ruled Nigeria as military head of state between 1983 and 1985 and as a civilian president from 2015 to 2023, died at a London clinic on July 13, 2025.
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