I Offer A New Direction, To Heal Nigeria, Fight Insecurity – Atiku Declares Ahead Of 2027 Polls

Former Vice President and the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has said he is determined to set Nigeria on a new path, rebuild its institutions and heal the country if elected President in the forthcoming elections.

Atiku said Nigeria needed competent, compassionate and decisive leadership to confront insecurity, economic hardship and what he described as the steady retreat of democratic practice.

Naija News reports that Atiku stated this on Friday in his Democracy Day address at an event organised in Abuja by the Coalition Political Action Committee, a civic and political engagement platform affiliated with the ADC.

He was represented at the event by a former member of the House of Representatives for Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, Hon. Nnenna Ukeje.

Atiku congratulated Nigerians for sustaining the longest unbroken period of democratic governance in the country’s history despite the difficult realities facing the nation.

He said the resilience of Nigerians had challenged him to continue working towards building a country worthy of their sacrifice and commitment.

“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,” he said.

The Waziri Adamawa said the 2027 election would offer Nigerians another opportunity to choose leadership that could restore hope and rebuild national confidence.

‘We Are Ready To Reclaim Our Country’

Atiku said he was prepared to lead a government that would restore security, rebuild institutions and unite Nigerians across political, ethnic and religious lines.

He said the country required leadership that understood the pain of citizens and was ready to move nation-building beyond slogans.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Speaking on the state of the nation, Atiku said Nigeria’s debt burden had grown beyond manageable limits and was now threatening the future of younger generations.

He said debt servicing had continued to consume revenues that should have been invested in education, healthcare, security and infrastructure.

The former Vice President also expressed concern over escalating violence across the country, saying insecurity had turned schools into places of fear.

According to him, children, who represent the future of the country, have become the greatest victims of what he called failure of leadership.

He said Nigeria could no longer afford a situation where farmers were afraid to go to their farms, communities were unsafe and schools were exposed to attacks.

‘You And I, We Will Confront Insecurity’

Atiku said he was offering Nigerians a proven alternative built on competence, compassion, integrity and decisive action.

He promised that an ADC-led Federal Government would confront insecurity, protect schools and restore confidence in communities.

“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.

He said ending insecurity would be a major priority of his administration if elected in 2027.

The ADC candidate also promised that his government would tackle the cost-of-living crisis through urgent and practical interventions.

He said such measures would be aimed at restoring dignity to hardworking and innovative Nigerians.

Atiku said the country needed a President who was truly patriotic and empathetic and who understood the struggles of citizens.

According to him, Nigeria required a leader who had the experience and solutions to confront the country’s problems, balance pragmatism with principle, and understand the difference between politics and governance.

The National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the future of politics in Nigeria remained bright because young people were increasingly bringing intellectual strength and new ideas into the political space.

He said the involvement of young Nigerians in politics would help deepen democratic engagement and improve the quality of leadership in the country.

Also speaking, the Convener of COPAC, Engr. Aminu Datti Ahmad warned that democracy would suffer when citizens withdraw from political participation.

“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,” Ahmad said.

In a communique issued at the end of the event, COPAC resolved to push for the urgent convening of a National Candidate Summit.

The group said the summit would help harmonise messaging, policy communication and campaign strategy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

It also agreed to mobilise party members and democratic stakeholders towards securing victory for the ADC in the election.

COPAC further resolved to advocate immediate party-wide reconciliation and unity-building initiatives across all levels of the ADC.

The body said it would continue working to build a stronger opposition capable of providing Nigerians with a credible alternative government.