By Luminous Jannamike

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday night emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and immediately launched a fierce attack on the ruling All Progressives Congress, AOC, accusing the government of driving Nigeria deeper into hardship, insecurity and political repression while pushing the country towards a one-party state.

Beyond producing a presidential candidate, the primary turned into a key rallying point for some opposition forces seeking to challenge the APC in the 2027 presidential election, with Atiku presenting the ADC as the platform to ‘rescue’ Nigeria’s democracy and reverse worsening hardship across the country.

Speaking after his victory at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja late Wednesday night, Atiku pledged to lead what he described as a national recovery effort and appealed to aggrieved members of the coalition and defeated aspirants to unite behind the party ahead of next year’s general election.

The former Vice President secured 1,846,370 votes out of the 2,527,977 votes cast in the primary election, defeating former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, who polled 504,117 votes, and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who scored 177,120 votes, in an exercise conducted among the party’s 3,113,599 registered members nationwide.

“We demonstrated that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party and its oppressive and anti-democratic government, democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress,” Atiku said.

He accused the APC-led government of fuelling crises within opposition parties through the involvement of security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and elements within the judiciary.

“As I speak, virtually all opposition political parties in the country have leadership crisis engineered by the APC government, the INEC and elements in the judiciary,” he said.

The ADC flagbearer also condemned the continued detention of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, describing it as part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures.

“All because he is a leading opposition figure. This kind of cruelty must stop,” he declared.

He further alleged that anti-corruption agencies were being used to pressure opposition politicians into joining the ruling party.

“Under this government, once a person joins the APC, the harassment ceases and the charges against them magically disappear,” he said.

Atiku also warned against what he described as continued interference in the affairs of the ADC by the Presidency, INEC and the judiciary.

“Enough is enough,” Atiku said, warning that any further attempt to undermine the coalition will be “fiercely’ resisted.

Despite the tension surrounding the primary contest, he moved to calm divisions within the coalition, insisting that the party could not afford internal cracks ahead of the election.

“This is not the time to celebrate. No one was defeated because we are one party and we all need to recognise the fierce urgency of the moment,” he said.

He specifically appealed to Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to work with him in what he described as a struggle to save Nigeria’s democracy.

“In particular, I invite Chief Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen to join me in this fight to save our democracy and our country,” he added.

On insecurity, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of failing to respond decisively to the wave of killings and attacks across the country, including the deaths of military personnel.

“Every region of this country is gripped by insecurity, the worst kind in our history,” he said.

He promised that an ADC government would strengthen the armed forces, police and intelligence agencies through mass recruitment, improved welfare, better training and modern equipment.

Turning to the economy, the former Vice President said official claims of economic growth did not reflect the reality facing millions of Nigerians as soaring prices continue to squeeze households across the country.

“The poverty gripping our people is at a level that we have never seen in our history,” he said.

He criticised the government’s handling of fuel subsidy removal and rising debt, alleging that borrowed funds were being diverted through contracts awarded without due process.

“The future of our younger generation is being mortgaged with no accountability,” Atiku declared.

On education, the ADC candidate said more than 20 million school-age children were currently out of school under the APC administration, promising free and compulsory education at primary and secondary levels if elected.

“This cannot be tolerated in the modern world where education is the surest path to decent employment, wealth creation, national development and enlightened citizenry,” he said.

He also accused the Federal Government of neglecting the healthcare sector, claiming the Ministry of Health received only N30 million for capital expenditure in the previous fiscal year.

“This is clearly a government that doesn’t care about the health of our people,” Atiku said, promising major investments in primary healthcare and specialist medical facilities.

Drawing a direct contrast with the APC’s ‘Renewed Hope’ slogan, Atiku said: “Where the APC government offers meaningless renewed hope, we will provide renewed action to repair the damage that they have done to our economy and society in the last twelve years of misrule.”

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