Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says he regrets being part of the then-opposition, the All Progressives Congress, which helped remove former President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from office in 2015.

Mr Abubakar, a six-time presidential candidate and a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), disclosed this at a joint press conference with other opposition political parties in Abuja on Thursday.

The politicians were gathered against the amended 2026 Electoral Act, which encouraged the adoption of manual and electronic transmission of results over fears of network failure.

“I regret being among those who helped form the APC in 2014 to remove Goodluck Jonathan from office,” said Mr Abubakar. “Today, the situation has become even worse under the present administration.”

Mr Abubakar recalled that the ruling APC was formed over heightened insecurity and economic challenges, stating that the situation is worse under the party’s leadership.

“We did this exercise in 2014. Not so? We came together and formed APC because we felt democracy was faulty in 2014, only for us to end up in the same position we found ourselves in in 2014, worse,” said Mr Abubakar.

He added, “Because 2014, the major challenge was insecurity here and there, the economy, and so on and so forth. Now, it’s even worse than what we fought in 2014.”

Mr Abubakar, a vice president from 1999 to 2007 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, urged opposition members to make efforts to succeed in the 2027 elections to ensure the restoration of true democracy in the country.

“The collapse of democracy in Nigeria is going to lead to the collapse of democracy in Africa because we are the largest democracy in Africa. We must make sure we restore true democracy to our country,” Mr Abubakar added.

Other notable politicians at the event were former Anambra governor Peter Obi, former minister of transport Rotimi Amaechi, erstwhile Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola, and the national chairman of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, Ajuji Ahmed.