Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has voiced concern over the growing frustration among Nigerian youths about governance, electoral integrity, and worsening economic conditions.
In a statement shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday, Atiku said he recently met with a delegation of young people from the 19 northern states, who expressed deep dissatisfaction with the current state of the nation.
According to him, the youths lamented that their votes “no longer count,” adding that poor leadership and ineffective policies have eroded their standard of living and crippled private businesses.
“Every time they come to have a conversation with me about bad governance, fraudulent elections, and the hardship being faced by citizens, I deeply feel sad about the situation,” Atiku stated.
He revealed that the latest meeting was led by Alhaji Adamu Bappa Gombe, who conveyed the group’s concerns about political exclusion and economic despair.
Atiku said he encouraged the youths not to lose hope in the democratic process, urging them to remain actively involved in shaping Nigeria’s political future.
“I have continued to encourage them not to give up. I told them the change they desire can only come through the ballot. I reminded them that they have a responsibility to mobilise their fellow young people to keep participating in leadership recruitment through elections,” he said.
The former vice president warned that low voter turnout has continued to weaken Nigeria’s democracy, noting that the 25–30% voter participation rate in recent election cycles is “not encouraging.”
“I challenged them to make a huge difference by influencing massive participation in 2027,” he added.
Reaffirming his political commitment, Atiku pledged not to relent in his efforts to rescue Nigeria from what he described as “anti-democratic forces.”
“On our part, we shall not relent until Nigeria is recovered from anti-democratic forces,” he declared.
Atiku, who served as Nigeria’s Vice President from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, has contested in six presidential elections.
Recently, he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), aligning forces with Peter Obi, his former rival. The move is reportedly part of a broader strategy to form a united opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential elections, aimed at challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Advertisement
