Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed deep concern over the increasing frustration among Nigerian youths about poor governance, fraudulent elections, and worsening economic conditions in the country.
Atiku made this known in a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, following a meeting with a delegation of young people from across the 19 northern states.
He said the youths expressed disappointment that their votes do not count and that government policies have continued to make life unbearable for ordinary citizens.
“Every time they come to have a conversation with me about bad governance, fraudulent elections, and the resultant hardship being faced by citizens, I deeply feel sad about the situation,” Atiku stated.
According to him, the group, led by Alhaji Adamu Bappa Gombe, shared their concerns about how governance failures and economic instability have negatively impacted their standard of living and small businesses.
“They were worried about how their votes don’t count and how bad governance and policies impact negatively on their standard of living and private businesses,” he added.
In response, Atiku said he encouraged the youths not to lose faith in democracy, urging them to remain actively involved in the electoral process as the only means to achieve meaningful change.
“I have continued to encourage them not to give up. I told them the change they desire can only come through the ballot,” he said.
“I reminded them that they have a responsibility to mobilise their fellow young people to keep participating in the process of leadership recruitment through elections.”
The former vice president lamented the low voter turnout witnessed in past elections and called on young Nigerians to reverse the trend ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The change they desire cannot be attained by voter apathy,” he noted. “A 25 to 30 per cent voter turnout in every election cycle is not encouraging. I challenged them to make a huge difference by influencing massive participation in 2027.”
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President between 1999 and 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, reiterated his resolve to stand against what he described as “anti-democratic forces” working against the nation’s progress.
“On our part, we shall not relent until Nigeria is recovered from anti-democratic forces,” he declared.
Atiku has contested the presidency six times and recently left the Peoples Democratic Party to join the African Democratic Congress alongside his former political rival, Peter Obi, in what is believed to be a strategic move to form a united opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
