Atiku Urges Nigerians to Vote Out APC as ADC Welcomes New Members

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has called on Nigerians to vote out the ruling All Progressives Congress in the upcoming general elections.

Atiku, a former Vice President, made this statement on Thursday in Akure, Ondo State. He spoke during the reception for Eyitayo Jegede, a former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, who officially joined the ADC with his supporters.

Atiku claimed that the administration of APC has made the country’s economic situation worse. He urged Nigerians to support the ADC in 2027.

While speaking to party members at the event, Atiku said this gathering was not a campaign rally. He promised to return to the state to share the party’s plans with voters.

He stated, "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.

"Of course, we have started releasing teasers. 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."

Atiku also criticized the APC government for the state of the economy. He referenced the economic performance of Nigeria during his time 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.

"Is it not APC? So 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 encouraged opposition supporters to mobilize voters and protect their votes for the 2027 elections. He pointed to the 2026 Osun State governorship election as an example of effective voter mobilization and protection.

"We had a good example in the last governorship election in Osun State. What did we see there? We saw massive turnout of voters. We also saw massive protection of our votes," Atiku said.

"Therefore, the APC couldn’t do anything. This is what we must make sure happens in this state, in Ondo State."

Atiku assured the crowd that the ADC would return to Ondo State to share its policy proposals ahead of the election. He welcomed Jegede and his supporters into the ADC, calling it a positive step for the party.

Senator David Mark, the National Chairman of the ADC, was represented at the event by the party's National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola. Aregbesola urged party members to mobilize voters and support ADC candidates in the upcoming elections.

He said, "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 on till January and February."

A former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, also spoke to Hausa-speaking members of the party and encouraged them to work for the party’s success in the 2027 elections.

During the event, Jegede explained that he joined the ADC because of the worsening economic situation in the country. He said, "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.

"We want a democratic government. We are sure of winning the Senate, Reps and presidential elections. We are going to mobilize and unite to win come 2027."

Jegede also mentioned that his supporters from the PDP have joined the ADC. He pledged to gather support for the party across the state.

"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," he said.

"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."