The presidential candidate of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has expressed his determination to set things right and heal the land if given the opportunity to lead the country from 2027.
The Waziri Adamawa stated this on Friday in his Democracy Day address at an event organised in Abuja by the Coalition Political Action Committee (COPAC) — a civic and political engagement platform affiliated with the African Democratic Congress.
Atiku was represented by Hon Nnenna Ukeje, former member representing Bender Federal Constituency, Abia State.
The former Vice President, who congratulated all compatriots on being part of the longest unbroken stretch of democratic governance in the history of the country despite the harsh realities of our present moment, said their resilience challenged him to walk the long road of building a Nigeria worthy of their unwavering commitment.
He said, “My fellow countrymen and women, let this Democracy Day mark the beginning of our collective turning point. Let us raise our voices against the steady retreat of democratic practice. Let us stand firm against every attempt to silence the opposition and to criminalise those who demand accountability. Let us resist the pain of state capture and embrace a new dawn driven by the power of the people. Let us choose unity over division, competence over excuses, and genuine leadership in 2027.
“We are ready to reclaim our country, to rebuild our institutions, to protect our children, to carry nation-building beyond rhetoric, to heal our fault lines, and to reunite our people into one secure, prosperous, and just nation — the nation we all deserve. I am Atiku Abubakar. I am tested. I believe in you, I believe in us, and I am fully aware that the stewardship I seek is delegated by the Nigerian people, exercised on their behalf and solely in their interest. Together, with your endorsement and your vote, we can make this work.”
Atiku, while speaking on the state of the nation, said our national debt had ballooned beyond manageable limits, mortgaging the future of our children, while debt servicing devoured the revenues that should be invested in education, healthcare, security, and infrastructure.
He said the escalating violence had turned our citadels of learning into places of fear, with our children, who represented the very future of Nigeria, paying the heaviest price for a failure of leadership.
The Waziri Adamawa said he offered a genuine and proven alternative with a path of competence, compassion, integrity, and decisive action.
“I offer a new direction and a clean departure from failure. Together — you and I — we will confront insecurity decisively. We will take back our country, downgrade insurgency and banditry, secure our schools, protect our communities, and enable our farmers to feed the nation without fear,” he added.
Atiku said an ADC federal government would bring the cost-of-living crisis to an end through urgent, practical interventions that restore dignity to the hardworking and innovative citizens of our country.
He said Nigeria needed a President who is truly patriotic and genuinely empathetic; who understands the struggles and suffering of our citizens; who carries the experience and the solutions to confront them; who can balance pragmatism with principle, and who knows the difference between politics and governance.
The ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, while speaking, expressed hope that the future of politics in Nigeria was bright with the young people bringing intellectual capabilities on board.
The Convener, COPAC, Engr. Aminu Datti Ahmad said, “A society begins to decline when everyone waits for someone else to act. Democracy begins to weaken when citizens withdraw. Political parties become ineffective when members become spectators. Nations lose their way when good people decide that engagement is no longer worth the effort.”
In a communique issued at the end of the event, COPAC resolved to push for the urgent convening of a National Candidate Summit to harmonise messaging, policy communication, and campaign strategy.
It also agreed to mobilise party members and democratic stakeholders towards securing victory for the ADC in the 2027 general elections.
The body resolved to advocate immediate party -wide reconciliation and unity -building initiatives across all levels of the ADC.
It further agreed to work relentlessly to build a stronger opposition capable of providing Nigerians with a credible alternative government.
Tribune Newspapers
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