2027: ADC Must Choose Experienced Presidential Candidate — Atiku
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to field a competent and experienced candidate capable of tackling Nigeria’s economic and institutional challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the decision before ADC delegates was beyond ordinary politics, describing it as a historic responsibility.
He noted that the ADC was founded on the principles of transparency, accountability, inclusion and democratic renewal, stressing that Nigeria needs a leader who is ready to govern from the first day in office.
“At a time when Nigeria is bleeding from every pore — crippled by economic hardship, insecurity, rising debt, institutional failure and deepening hopelessness — the question before the ADC is simple: who has the capacity not merely to campaign, but to govern effectively from day one?” he said.
“This is not a season for political experimentation. Nigeria cannot afford a learning-on-the-job presidency.”
Atiku maintained that the country’s current realities require tested leadership with executive experience, economic understanding and broad national appeal.
“Nigeria today needs a president who understands governance not as theory, but as lived responsibility.
“It needs someone who has negotiated globally, created jobs through enterprise, managed national crises, built coalitions and consistently articulated a practical roadmap for economic recovery and national renewal,” he stated.
The former vice president also urged ADC delegates to place competence above sentiment as the party prepares for the 2027 polls.
“At this defining moment, ADC delegates must ask themselves a simple but profound question: do we want to make a statement, or do we want to make a President?
“Nigeria is not merely facing economic hardship; it is grappling with the devastating consequences of catastrophic economic choices, deepening insecurity and institutional decay. This is not the season for sentiment or political experimentation,” he said.
According to him, elections cannot be won through online popularity alone, adding that governance requires preparation and experience.
“Elections are not won on social media enthusiasm alone. Governance is not performance art. The presidency is not a platform for improvisation.
“The ADC must present to Nigerians its strongest, most credible, most prepared candidate — not merely its loudest,” Atiku stated.
He cited his tenure as vice president between 1999 and 2007 as evidence of his preparedness for leadership.
“The economic reforms that helped reposition Nigeria, the privatisation drive that opened sectors, the fiscal discipline that contributed to debt relief and the governance reforms of that era were not accidents.
“They were products of leadership, competence and courage,” he added.
Atiku further stressed that defeating an incumbent government would require strategy, resilience and national support.
“The ADC must think beyond sentiment. It must think about victory. It must think about governance. It must think about Nigeria,” he said.
“This is a defining election. The party needs a candidate with national acceptability, political resilience, tested structures and the capacity to unify disparate interests into one winning coalition.”
He concluded by urging delegates to choose competence and leadership capable of addressing Nigeria’s challenges.
“History will remember this moment. The choice before ADC delegates is not merely about ambition. It is about destiny. Nigeria deserves rescue, not rhetoric,” he said.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the ADC presidential primary, scheduled for May 25, 2026, will feature Atiku, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and former Northern Nigeria Development Company boss, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
