Former Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has called on Nigerians to vote out the All Progressives Congress in the next general election.
Atiku made the call on Thursday in Akure, Ondo State, during a reception organised to welcome former Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the state, Eyitayo Jegede, into the ADC.
Jegede was received into the opposition party alongside his supporters.
Atiku, who criticised the economic policies of the APC-led Federal Government, said the administration had worsened the country’s economic condition.
He urged opposition supporters to mobilise voters and ensure that their votes were protected during the 2027 elections.
Atiku said the event was not a campaign rally but disclosed that the party would return to the state to unveil its plans and policies to the electorate.
He said, “This is not a campaign rally; this is a welcome rally. We are going to come back for a campaign rally. We will let you know what ADC is going to do for you, for your future and next generations of Nigerians.”
The former Vice President also promised that an ADC-led government would address insecurity and reverse some of the economic policies of the present administration.
“We are committed to returning subsidy. Secondly, we are committed to returning security to all over this country. No part of this country will feel insecure anymore,” he said.
Atiku further compared Nigeria’s current economic situation with the country’s performance between 1999 and 2007, when he served as Vice President.
“Of course, you know what we did between 1999 and 2007. We took Nigeria to the best economy in Africa. Today, we are number five. The APC is responsible for taking us down,” he said.
He consequently urged Nigerians to vote against the ruling party in 2027.
“The best thing for us is to vote them out. There is this popular saying now which is that APC must go! Tinubu must go!” Atiku added.
He also cited the 2026 Osun State governorship election as an example of effective voter mobilisation and protection, urging ADC supporters in Ondo State to adopt a similar strategy.
“We saw massive turnout of voters. We also saw massive protection of our votes. Therefore, the APC couldn’t do anything. This is what we must make sure happens in this state, in Ondo State,” he said.
The National Secretary of the ADC, Rauf Aregbesola, who represented the party’s National Chairman, David Mark, also urged members to mobilise support for the party ahead of the elections.
“I want to appeal to you to vote ADC and protect your votes in the coming general election. I also want to urge you to go and campaign from now till January and February,” Aregbesola said.
Former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, also addressed Hausa-speaking members of the party, calling on them to work towards the success of the ADC in 2027.
Speaking at the event, Jegede attributed his decision to join the ADC to what he described as worsening economic hardship in the country.
“There is unemployment in Nigeria; you can all see that. There is hardship; you can all see that. The suffering is too much. The journey has begun,” he said.
Jegede expressed confidence that the ADC would perform strongly in the 2027 elections, saying his supporters from the PDP had moved with him to the new party.
“We want a democratic government. We are sure of winning the Senate, Reps and presidential elections. We are going to mobilise and unite to win come 2027,” he said.
He added, “All the PDP members loyal to me have moved to ADC. We are going to let everyone know that ADC is the boss when we vote in January and February.”
Jegede further urged voters to support the party, promising that an ADC government would address the rising cost of living.
“You can see things are costly; we are going to bring it down. It is our vote that will determine the strength of our political party. As we came out today, let’s vote ADC massively,” he said.
