The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has appealed to Nigerians to reject vote buying and elect leaders based on competence, integrity and vision, insisting that the country’s future should never be traded for temporary material inducements.
Addressing hundreds of young Nigerians at the RiseUpNaija Movement Leadership Retreat in Abuja on Saturday, Atiku said his decision to seek the presidency was inspired by a desire to build a nation founded on accountability, strong institutions and equal opportunities for all citizens rather than the benefits associated with political office.
The former vice president urged Nigerian youths to become active participants in the democratic process by voting responsibly and safeguarding the sanctity of elections, expressing confidence that genuine public participation would defeat attempts to manipulate electoral outcomes.
“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 that citizens possess the power to determine the outcome of elections if they refuse to surrender their votes to financial inducements.
“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.”
The event also featured the inauguration of state coordinators of the RiseUpNaija Movement, a political mobilisation platform made up of young Nigerians drawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and other political platforms, which has endorsed Atiku’s presidential aspiration on the platform of the ADC.
Among those present were Atiku’s political associate, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, and the founding National Chairman of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu.
The leadership retreat comes as political parties and support groups intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election, with opposition parties expanding their structures across the country.
Reflecting on his decades-long involvement in Nigeria’s democratic journey, Atiku said the passage of time had strengthened rather than diminished his commitment to national development.
“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.
The former vice president described Nigeria’s youthful population as the country’s greatest strength, lamenting that poor governance had continued to frustrate millions of talented young people.
According to him, many young Nigerians have demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation despite operating under difficult economic conditions.
“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 added.
Atiku urged Nigerians to make informed decisions during the 2027 elections by evaluating candidates based on their competence, character and ideas rather than gifts distributed during campaigns.
He warned that temporary incentives offered by politicians could never compensate for the long-term consequences of poor governance.
“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 stressed.
Earlier, Convener of the RiseUpNaija Movement, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, charged the newly inaugurated state coordinators to accelerate membership registration and establish functional structures across the country.
He disclosed that the movement had set an ambitious target of mobilising 20 million voters in support of the ADC presidential candidate.
“Our target is to have 20m active voters to deliver our candidate in 2027,” Imam said.
He also announced a nationwide membership competition among state chapters to encourage rapid expansion of the movement.
“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 approximately 176,000 polling units nationwide, achieving the target would translate into at least 17.6 million registered members.
Imam further revealed that Adamawa State currently tops the membership drive and challenged coordinators from other states to surpass its performance.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the RiseUpNaija Coordinating Council, Salihu Yakasai, said the movement was established to rebuild public confidence in democracy and create a nationwide grassroots political network ahead of the 2027 elections.
“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.
(Ripples)