Former presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adamu Garba, has announced his withdrawal from active political participation.
Garba made the announcement in a statement posted on his X account on Tuesday, saying he had decided to focus exclusively on his responsibilities within his technology company.
The former presidential aspirant said the decision followed careful reflection and was largely driven by the demands of his role as Executive Chairman of IPI Group Limited and Chief Platform Architect of the group and its subsidiaries.
According to Garba, his responsibilities require sustained personal attention, technical expertise and a level of presence that cannot easily be delegated.
He explained that combining those responsibilities with extensive political activities would eventually affect either his business or his political involvement.
Garba said he had therefore chosen to devote his full attention to developing what he described as an “AI-First enterprise”, while using technology to contribute to the development of society, Nigeria and Africa.
He also expressed gratitude to his supporters, political associates, party leaders and members of the public who supported his political journey over the past nine years.
Garba said his political experience had significantly shaped him and that he appreciated the confidence people placed in him.
Garba’s Political Journey
Garba first declared his intention to contest the Nigerian presidency under the APC ahead of the 2019 general election.
His campaign focused largely on structural reforms, youth participation in governance and national integration.
He remained an APC presidential aspirant ahead of the 2023 election, but eventually withdrew from the party’s presidential contest in 2022.
His decision to withdraw at the time was linked to the high cost of obtaining the APC expression-of-interest and nomination forms, which were reportedly priced at N100 million.
Garba argued that the high cost risked commercialising politics and preventing young Nigerians and people without significant financial resources from participating in the presidential race.
His campaign had reportedly received about N83.2 million in donations, which he said would be returned to contributors following his withdrawal.
Despite stepping away from the 2023 presidential contest, Garba remained publicly associated with the APC and continued to participate in political discussions.
His latest announcement, however, marks a significant shift as he says he will now step back from active political involvement and concentrate on technology.
The move comes at a time when political activities are already intensifying ahead of the 2027 general elections, raising questions about whether Garba’s withdrawal is permanent or simply a decision to temporarily prioritise his technology career.
