Atiku Says 2027 Presidential Bid Driven by Vision for Accountable Leadership
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday declared that his bid for the 2027 presidency is driven not by personal ambition or the privileges of office, but by a determination to build a nation where leadership is accountable, institutions are strengthened and every Nigerian has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Addressing hundreds of young Nigerians at the RiseUpNaija Movement Leadership Retreat in Abuja, Atiku urged voters, particularly the youth, to reject vote buying and defend the integrity of the electoral process, insisting that the collective will of the people would prevail if citizens participated actively in the election.
“I am not seeking office for its privileges,” Atiku said. “I seek it because I still believe in the Nigeria that is capable of becoming a nation where leadership is accountable, institutions are strong, opportunities are abundant and every citizen, regardless of background, has a fair chance to succeed.”
He added, “If millions of young Nigerians participate peacefully, vote responsibly and defend the integrity of the process, no amount of money can overcome the collective will of the people.”
Atiku spoke at the inauguration of state coordinators of the RiseUpNaija Movement, a political mobilisation platform comprising young Nigerians drawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and other political platforms, which has endorsed his 2027 presidential bid on the platform of the ADC.
The former vice president attended the event alongside his political ally, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, and the founding National Chairman of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu.
The retreat comes as political parties and interest groups continue to strengthen grassroots structures ahead of the 2027 general election, with opposition parties intensifying efforts to rally support against the ruling APC.
Reflecting on his political journey, Atiku said decades of involvement in Nigeria’s democratic struggle had only strengthened his conviction that the country could still fulfil its enormous potential.
“I have spent the better part of my life fighting for democracy, justice and the progress of Nigeria. Time has given me experience, but it has not diminished my conviction.
“The fire that inspired me as a young student activist still burns today because every day, I see millions of young Nigerians denied opportunities that should have been theirs.
“I stand before you today not merely as a former vice president or an elder statesman, but as a lifelong democrat who has never stopped believing that Nigeria can become the great nation its people deserve,” he said.
He described Nigeria’s youth population as the country’s greatest asset, lamenting that poor governance had continued to deny many young people opportunities to realise their potential.
“The current political establishment often looks at young Nigerians and sees a restless population to be managed, manipulated or mobilised only during elections.
“I see something entirely different.
“I see the greatest national asset Nigeria has ever produced.
“I see innovators building world-class businesses from laptops and mobile phones. I see young farmers feeding communities despite enormous odds. I see creators, engineers, doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, artisans and professionals proving every day that the Nigerian spirit cannot be defeated.
“Unfortunately, I also see enormous talent trapped by poor leadership. I see graduates searching endlessly for jobs that do not exist.
“I see entrepreneurs spending more money on diesel than on expanding their businesses.
“I see brilliant young people leaving Nigeria, not because they have stopped loving their country, but because they no longer believe their country loves them back,” he said.
Calling on Nigerians to make informed choices in 2027, Atiku urged voters to prioritise competence, integrity and ideas over inducements offered during election campaigns.
“In 2027, let us vote for competence. Let us vote for character. Let us vote for ideas. Let us vote for the future.
“Your vote is far more valuable than any amount of money a politician can offer. Do not exchange four years of your future for one afternoon of inducement.
“A bag of rice will disappear. A few thousand naira will be spent. A campaign T-shirt will eventually fade. But the consequences of electing incompetent leadership will remain with you long after the campaign has ended,” he said.
Earlier, the convener of the RiseUpNaija Movement, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, charged the newly inaugurated state coordinators to intensify membership registration and establish functional structures across the country, setting a target of mobilising 20 million voters for the ADC presidential candidate.
“Our target is to have 20 million active voters to deliver our candidate in 2027,” Imam said.
He announced a month-long competition among state chapters, with a special prize for the state that records the highest membership registration.
“We must have a presence in every polling unit. Our target is to have at least 100 members in every polling unit,” he said.
According to him, with about 176,000 polling units across the country, achieving that target would translate into at least 17.6 million registered members for the movement.
Imam disclosed that Adamawa State currently leads the membership drive and challenged other states to surpass its performance.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the RiseUpNaija Coordinating Council, Salihu Yakasai, said the movement was established to restore public confidence in democracy and mobilise Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Our responsibility is very clear. We must build an organisation that is active not only at the national level but in every state, every local government, every ward and ultimately every polling unit across Nigeria,” Yakasai said.
