Atiku Fit, Ready to Traverse 36 States, FCT, ADC-PCC Declares

• Says Tinubu’s refusal to campaign nationwide is arrogant, insult to Nigerians
• Accuses Kwankwaso of doing president’s bidding, describes call for former VP to step down as reckless

Chuks Okocha

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has declared that its presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, is fit and ready to campaign across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory ahead of the 2027 general election.

The council also criticised President Bola Tinubu over his decision not to campaign in all states, describing it as an act of arrogance and an insult to Nigerians, while accusing former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of advancing the president’s political interests by calling on Atiku to step down for Peter Obi.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC-PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement, was quoted to have made the remarks while receiving a delegation of youths under the aegis of Young Voters for Atiku (YVA) and in a separate response to Kwankwaso’s interview on Channels Television.

Ologbondiyan argued that a president seeking re-election should be willing to engage voters directly, account for his stewardship and present his plans for the country. He said Tinubu’s reported reluctance to campaign nationwide would give the opposition an advantage.

“What President Tinubu has done is a clear act of contempt against the Nigerian people. The APC is known for its contempt for Nigerians. How can a man who wants to be re-elected as president, after failing woefully, say he does not want to visit the people he seeks to govern?” he said.

The ADC-PCC spokesman dismissed the argument that official engagements could prevent Tinubu from campaigning across the country, citing former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, as well as former United States President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Kamala Harris, as examples of political leaders who campaigned while holding or seeking public office.

He alleged that Tinubu was reluctant to face voters because of public dissatisfaction over hunger, poverty, insecurity and the state of the economy.

Ologbondiyan maintained that Atiku was physically fit, mentally alert and prepared to visit every state and the FCT to present his manifesto and seek the electorate’s mandate.

He urged Nigerians, particularly young voters, to reject the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027, arguing that another term for the ruling party would prolong the hardship citizens were experiencing.

He also expressed confidence that Atiku, if elected, would prioritise economic recovery, wealth creation, national security and improved living standards.

The ADC-PCC further criticised Kwankwaso for urging Atiku to step down for Obi, describing the call as reckless, self-serving and an attempt to weaken the opposition ahead of the 2027 election.

Ologbondiyan questioned why Kwankwaso was focusing on opposition leaders rather than challenging Tinubu’s administration, which the council said Nigerians were eager to vote out.

“Rather than campaigning against President Tinubu, whose administration Nigerians are eagerly working to vote out, Kwankwaso is fixated on Atiku Abubakar, the ADC candidate, whom millions of Nigerians believe can restore economic stability and make life affordable again,” he said.

He alleged that Kwankwaso’s position raised questions about his political intentions, suggesting that his actions could benefit the ruling APC by creating divisions among opposition parties.

“What Kwankwaso is doing amounts to advancing President Tinubu’s interests. It is a familiar APC strategy to use willing collaborators within the opposition to create confusion, sow division and weaken the collective efforts to bring about political change,” Ologbondiyan said.

He also argued that Kwankwaso’s political influence in Kano should not be considered indispensable to any presidential candidate seeking victory in the state. Citing the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections, he said former President Muhammadu Buhari had secured victories in Kano without Kwankwaso’s support, adding that Atiku could also win the state in 2027.

Ologbondiyan further questioned Kwankwaso’s ability to translate his regional influence into nationwide electoral support, citing his fourth-place finish in the 2023 presidential election.

He also alleged that Kwankwaso’s call for Obi’s candidacy was driven partly by personal political ambition and possible calculations ahead of the 2031 election.

The ADC-PCC director maintained that Atiku had built political relationships across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones over more than three decades, which he said positioned the former vice-president to assemble a broad national coalition.

He urged Kwankwaso and other opposition figures to support Atiku, arguing that opposition leaders should prioritise defeating the APC rather than undermining one another.

“The task before opposition leaders is not to undermine one another for personal political advantage but to unite around the urgent national mission of rescuing Nigeria,” Ologbondiyan said.

The council also claimed that it had been politically strengthened by the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, saying the event had not attracted endorsements from ADC members or sympathisers.