- Atiku Abubakar, the ADC presidential candidate, told BBC Hausa he would tackle Nigeria’s insecurity within his first year in office
- The former Vice President also pledged to revive ECOMOG and restore bilateral ties with Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali through ECOWAS
- Atiku confirmed 2027 would be his final presidential run and stood by his earlier pledge to restore Nigeria’s fuel subsidy
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has promised to bring insecurity in Nigeria to an end within 12 months of winning the 2027 presidential election, citing plans to recruit more security personnel, improve equipment, and create jobs for unemployed youths.
The former Vice President spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa, where he covered a range of political and policy issues ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Source: Getty Images
“I will not take more than one year to end it. We will recruit additional security personnel and provide them with the necessary equipment. We will also provide adequate funding to support youths to establish businesses because many of them are involved in criminal activities due to lack of employment. We will take these measures and, within a year, we will end insecurity, God willing,” he said.
Atiku’s plan to revive ECOMOG
On regional security, Atiku said he would push to revive the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) by working with ECOWAS leaders to build stronger military cooperation among member states, including Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
He added that Nigeria’s bilateral relationship with Niger Republic should not be disrupted because of the military government there, describing the two nations as sharing deep historical and cultural bonds.
He also said he would work to bring Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali back into ECOWAS.
On the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Atiku said he was not confident the body would conduct a free and fair election, given its ties to the current administration.
He nonetheless urged Nigerians to come out and vote, and to protect their ballots.
“INEC will not do the right thing because it is this government that brought them. But what I want to tell Nigerians is that they should come out and vote. They should ensure that their votes count, protect their votes and make sure that the person they vote for is the person who is eventually declared the winner,” he said.
Atiku defends fuel subsidy pledge
Atiku also addressed growing debate around his pledge to restore fuel subsidy, saying the Tinubu administration’s decision to remove it all at once caused severe hardship for ordinary Nigerians.
He said he had personally felt the impact through his farming business.
“In my 79 years (and approaching 80 now), I have never experienced a level of hardship that Nigerians are currently experiencing. I don’t need to consult with anyone before pledging that I will restore the subsidy. I have seen the situation of the people,” he said.
He added that his administration would consult all relevant stakeholders and assess the situation carefully before taking any final decision on the subsidy.
Atiku confirmed that 2027 would mark his final attempt at the presidency, adding that he remained open to advising younger politicians if he did not win.
Opposition parties to meet ahead of 2027
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the G100 announced it will host the First Summit of Key Stakeholders of Nigeria’s Opposition Political Parties on Monday, August 31, at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, bringing together the leadership of six principal opposition parties to begin formal negotiations on working together ahead of the 2027 general election.
The summit will proceed under the theme “A Framework for Opposition Cooperation and Coordination,” with delegations from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Movement (APM), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) expected to attend from 10:00 a.m.
Source: Legit.ng