Atiku made the disclosure during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, where he reflected on events following the PDP’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election.

According to him, he warned party leaders after the election that the PDP could struggle politically without forming alliances with other opposition forces.

“To be honest, I was one of the major initiators of this coalition. After the PDP lost the last election, I told the party clearly that I did not see a future for the PDP without a coalition,” he said.

Atiku said his advice was rejected at the time, despite his conviction that Nigeria’s political history had shown the importance of alliances.

“They disagreed with me then. I have studied Nigeria’s political transition over the years and saw how previous alliances worked, so it was not difficult for me to foresee this,” he stated.

The former vice president added that his support for coalition politics was also influenced by his desire to encourage the emergence of younger leaders he believes are vital to Nigeria’s future.

“I saw some of these younger politicians as the future leaders of this country, and I felt it was my duty to point that out,” he said.

However, Atiku claimed the resistance he encountered within the party was driven more by personal feelings than by disagreement over the substance of his proposal.

“They disagreed with me simply because they did not want to see my face, not because of what I was suggesting,” he said.

Atiku added that recent political developments have now vindicated his position on the need for a broad opposition alliance ahead of future elections.

Atiku made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday.

Speaking on what makes his latest presidential bid different from previous attempts, Atiku said the ADC coalition brings together key political figures from across major parties, including the APC, PDP and Labour Party.

He described the alliance as a broader and more strategic political arrangement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to him, the coalition has created a stronger platform that improves his prospects.

“Now, we have a broader coalition — a combination of APC, PDP and LP — which gives me a better chance of becoming president in 2027,” he said.

Atiku also noted that the coalition reflects both experience and generational inclusion, which he said shows a clear succession plan.

“You see people of my generation, and you see younger people coming behind us, so you can clearly see a succession pattern,” he added.

Meanwhile, Atiku described former President Goodluck Jonathan as a decent but inexperienced leader.

According to him, Jonathan’s lack of experience contributed to shortcomings in governance and played a role in his defeat in the 2015 presidential election.

“I know Goodluck Jonathan very well. He is a decent young man, but he was also inexperienced, and that contributed to his failure in managing the affairs of the country,” Atiku said.

He made the remarks while stressing the need for experienced and capable leadership in Nigeria.