The camp of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has rejected suggestions that the former vice-president should step down if opposition parties eventually agree on a consensus presidential candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.

Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku, stated this on Monday during an interview on Frontline on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.

His comments came amid ongoing consultations by the G100 initiative, convened by former APC National Vice-Chairman Salihu Lukman, aimed at strengthening cooperation among opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general election.

Shaibu confirmed that Atiku's camp was actively involved in the discussions but argued that the primary objective of the G100 was not necessarily to produce a single presidential candidate.

“We are actively involved in the process and as you and I are talking now, there is only one presidential candidate today. That's Atiku Abubakar and he has pushed the administration into the opposition.

"So, why would a candidate step down for the opposition?” he said.

According to him, the initiative was principally designed to develop a coordinated opposition strategy, including common messaging and greater collaboration among opposition leaders and spokespersons.

“One of the major principles behind it is that we must come together to put together ideas. That is the fundamental principle of the G100 agenda,” Shaibu said.

He added that opposition leaders and their spokespersons needed to work together and communicate around common issues confronting Nigerians.

“The leaders must work together, the spokespersons must work together, common messaging, same topic, same messaging,” he said.

Shaibu acknowledged that a single opposition presidential candidate could eventually emerge but insisted that such an outcome was not the central focus of the G100.

“So, if possible, one single candidate will emerge. In fact, it is on the last radar of the agenda of the G100,” he said.

Asked specifically whether Atiku would step aside if another opposition candidate emerged as the preferred choice, Shaibu declined to make such a commitment.

“The issue of candidature or single candidature is the least on the agenda of the G100,” he said.

The Atiku camp's position places the former vice-president firmly in the 2027 opposition contest, even as political parties and prominent opposition figures continue discussions on possible alliances against the Tinubu administration.

Shaibu said Atiku's campaign had moved beyond the issue of individual political ambitions and was focused on what he described as the struggle of ordinary Nigerians.

“We are saying the people deserve to breathe again. It is Tinubu versus the whole Nigerians,” he said.

He maintained that Atiku's campaign would focus on restoring the purchasing power of Nigerians and reversing economic policies he believes have worsened hardship in the country.

“The issue of stepping down or not stepping down is, in fact, a non-starter because we have moved this campaign beyond that point to the people,” he added.

The former vice-president's spokesman also argued that opposition parties could coordinate their efforts without necessarily announcing a single presidential candidate.

He cited the recent Osun State governorship election as an example of how opposition forces could cooperate despite fielding different candidates.

“It happened in Osun. The Osun template should tell you better that, look, we have multiple candidates in Osun. You can unite as opposition without necessarily coming out to say, this is our single candidate,” he said.

Shaibu, however, declined to reveal the details of the strategy being developed by the opposition.

He dismissed arguments that political power should remain in the South after President Tinubu's tenure, insisting that economic hardship affects Nigerians irrespective of their geographical or regional backgrounds.

“About power returning to the South and all, hunger does not even understand geography. A man who is hungry in Ijebu-Ode is the same as a man who is hungry in Akwa Ibom,” he said.

According to him, the focus of the 2027 election should be on performance rather than regional considerations.