Fresh concerns have emerged over the health condition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar following the postponement of the presidential screening exercise of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Sources within the ADC told SaharaReporters on Monday that Atiku reportedly fell ill over the weekend and has been placed on bed rest by his personal physician.
The development reportedly contributed to the postponement of the party’s presidential screening exercise to Wednesday.
Earlier on Monday, SaharaReporters reported that the party had postponed its presidential screening exercise from Monday to Wednesday following internal disagreements over the party’s preferred consensus candidate ahead of the vote.
It was learnt that party leaders had reportedly been unable to reach a final agreement among three leading contenders, former River State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Atiku, and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Sources within the party said the postponement was driven by ongoing consultations and negotiations among key stakeholders, as efforts continued to rally behind a consensus candidate seen as capable of strengthening the ADC’s chances and mounting a strong challenge against Bola Tinubu in the general election.
However, other party sources told SaharaReporters that Atiku’s illness was among the factors that contributed to the postponement of the presidential screening exercise.
“We went to see him on Saturday and they said he cannot come down because he was sick,” one of the sources disclosed.
Another source independently confirmed on Monday that the former presidential candidate was still unwell.
According to information obtained by SaharaReporters, Atiku allegedly became ill on Saturday and was treated at home by his personal doctor.
“He fell seriously sick on Saturday. He was treated at home by his personal physician and placed on enforced bed rest throughout Sunday,” a source familiar with the matter said.
Another source further revealed that the state of Atiku’s health was communicated to the ADC leadership after party officials reportedly sought to meet with him.
“The party leadership was informed when they sought to see him. His current condition is still unclear,” the source added.
Sources also noted that the last public event attended by the former vice president was the submission of his nomination forms at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja before he reportedly took ill.
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, did not respond to repeated calls and text messages seeking his reaction to the revelations made by the party’s chieftains.
Earlier on Monday, SaharaReporters reported that uncertainty still surrounded the presidential primary election scheduled for May 25, with party sources citing financial constraints and disagreements over efforts to adopt a consensus candidate.
“Even their primaries date is now unsure; they don’t have money and Atiku not letting them have a consensus that doesn’t suit him,” one of the sources said.
On Saturday, the party announced the postponement of its screening exercise for presidential and governorship aspirants, shifting the exercise earlier scheduled for the weekend to today, Monday, May 18, 2026.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC also disclosed that the screening of some federal lawmaker aspirants from affected parts of Northern Nigeria would now be conducted in Abuja due to prevailing security concerns in the region.
