The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of sectionalism, divisive politics and worsening economic hardship, insisting that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is better suited to lead Nigeria.
The council also said an Atiku-led government would restore fuel subsidy under a transparent framework to protect vulnerable Nigerians and stimulate production.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC-PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this in Abuja at the weekend when he received the leadership of the Grassroots Mobilisation Network, led by its National Coordinator, Sadiq Abubakar Adamu Lwafu.
Lwafu said the organisation had begun nationwide mobilisation to rally support for Atiku ahead of the 2027 presidential election and ensure the defeat of the ruling All Progressives Congress at the polls.
He accused the Tinubu administration of worsening economic hardship, failing to tackle insecurity and undermining democratic values.
“President Tinubu’s administration has made life so difficult for Nigerians. The hardship is too much. Nigerians are now living in fear of insecurity,” Lwafu said.
“It appears that governance has collapsed, as a group of greedy politicians have ganged up against the poor, and democracy has been abused and replaced with an authoritarian regime.”
He described Atiku as the only candidate capable of addressing the country’s challenges, adding that the ADC would mobilise Nigerians to remove the APC through the ballot box.
“The only man who can rescue Nigeria is Atiku Abubakar, and we are on a mission to ensure that the APC is thrown out of power through the ballot box next year,” he said.
Lwafu also described the ADC as a credible political platform comprising experienced politicians and individuals committed to national development.
He listed the party’s National Chairman, David Mark; former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi; former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; and other political figures as evidence of the party’s strength.
“These are not jokers like what we have in the APC. Look at the characters in the APC and compare: propagandists, deceitful pretenders and certificate forgers,” he alleged.
Responding, Ologbondiyan accused Tinubu of running a government that favoured certain interests at the expense of national unity.
“In the last three years, Tinubu has shown clannishness in governance. His appointments, his policies, his body language — everything screams sectionalism and exclusion,” he said.
He contrasted the President’s leadership with Atiku’s, describing the former Vice-President as a politician whose relationships cut across ethnic, religious and regional boundaries.
“Atiku Abubakar, on the other hand, is a natural Nigerian devoid of ethnic, religious or sectional inclination. He is a leader for all tribes and regions,” Ologbondiyan said.
He argued that Atiku’s family, business and political associations reflected Nigeria’s diversity and demonstrated his capacity to unite the country.
“That is the definition of a Pan-Nigerian leader,” he added.
Ologbondiyan further accused the APC of exploiting ethnic and religious differences to retain power rather than prioritising the welfare of Nigerians.
“The APC has so much capitalised on our fault lines to divide the country. They don’t care about the welfare of the people as far as they can remain in power,” he alleged.
He expressed confidence that Nigerians would reject what he described as divisive politics in the 2027 general election.
The ADC-PCC director also argued that the Tinubu administration had failed to translate its approach to governance into better living conditions for citizens.
He said Atiku’s record and policy proposals made him the most suitable candidate to address the country’s economic difficulties.
“Nigeria is at a crossroads and needs Atiku for the task ahead. He is the only one with a clear blueprint for our economic recovery,” he said.
On fuel subsidy, Ologbondiyan said an Atiku administration would reintroduce the policy under a transparent and properly managed arrangement.
“Atiku is going to bring back subsidy in a transparent and well-managed manner that will directly benefit the poor and stimulate production,” he said.
He also criticised other presidential contenders, claiming they lacked clear positions on fuel subsidy and other economic challenges.
The ADC-PCC pledged to work with grassroots organisations and other groups seeking a change of government in 2027.
However, the allegations against the Tinubu administration and the ADC’s claims about Atiku’s proposed policies were not independently substantiated in the account of the meeting.
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