Join Me In The Fight To Save Nigeria— Atiku Tells Amaechi, Hayatu-Deen After Winning ADC Presidential Ticket

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday, called on his co-contestants, Rotimi Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, to join forces with him to “save Nigeria” after emerging winner of the party’s presidential primary ahead of the 2027 general election.

In his acceptance speech after clinching the ADC presidential ticket, Atiku said the opposition coalition must unite to confront what he described as “the destructive grip of a corrupt, incompetent and polarising APC government.”

“I invite Chief Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen to join me in this fight to save our democracy and our country,” he said. “As I said previously, there are no winners and no losers.”

The former Vice President described the ADC as a platform committed to rescuing Nigeria’s democracy, saying the party’s primary election showed that democratic principles were still alive despite what he called increasing political repression by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“We demonstrated that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party and its oppressive and anti-democratic government, democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress,” Atiku declared.

He accused the APC-led Federal Government of using state institutions, including security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the judiciary, to weaken opposition parties and intimidate political opponents.

According to him, virtually all opposition parties in the country were battling leadership crises allegedly engineered by the government.

Atiku also alleged selective persecution of opposition politicians, citing the detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

“He has been in detention for three months despite court orders granting him bail. He has been denied the right to celebrate two important religious holidays with his family,” he said.

The ADC candidate further warned against any attempt to interfere in the affairs of the coalition party.

“Any further attempt to interfere in the affairs of the party by the Presidency, INEC and judiciary will be fiercely resisted. Enough is enough,” he stated.

Atiku said the country was facing worsening insecurity, economic hardship, political intolerance and a dangerous drift toward a one-party state under the APC administration.

He pledged that an ADC government under his leadership would prioritise security, education, healthcare, economic reforms and equitable power-sharing.

On insecurity, he promised massive recruitment into the armed forces and police, improved welfare for security personnel, modern equipment and stronger intelligence coordination.

“An ADC government under my leadership will take decisive action to address insecurity and protect lives and property in the country,” he said.

The former Vice President also criticised the state of the nation’s education sector, noting that more than 20 million Nigerian children were currently out of school.

“We will implement free and compulsory education at the primary and secondary levels and invest in leadership, entrepreneurial, technological and innovation skills amongst our teeming youth,” he promised.

On the economy, Atiku accused the APC government of deepening poverty while enriching a privileged few around the corridors of power.

“The poverty gripping our people is at a level that we have never seen in our history,” he said, adding that an ADC administration would focus on investment, job creation and resolving the country’s energy crisis.

He also criticised the Federal Government’s borrowing policy and handling of fuel subsidy removal, alleging lack of accountability in the management of savings from the subsidy removal.

“External borrowing alone has reached 30 billion dollars in the last three years,” he claimed.

Speaking on healthcare, Atiku promised increased investment in primary healthcare and specialist medical facilities to reduce medical tourism abroad.

He urged aggrieved members of the coalition to close ranks and focus on building a formidable opposition ahead of the next general election.

“With the primaries behind us, the real hard work is about to begin,” he said. “We have to prepare to campaign hard to win the next general elections in order to begin the difficult process of rescuing our country and its long-suffering people from this government.”