Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has promised to restore petrol subsidy, reopen Nigeria’s land borders for legitimate businesses and tackle insecurity if elected President in 2027.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, made the promises on Wednesday during the official flag-off of his presidential campaign in Sokoto State.
He said his administration would prioritise national security, economic recovery and cross-border trade, particularly in Northern Nigeria, where many communities depend on commerce with neighbouring countries.
Atiku said reopening the borders and restoring fuel subsidy would form part of his proposed measures to address economic hardship and improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
“I will open all the land borders for our people to do legitimate business with our brothers across the border,” he said.
“We will restore subsidy back into our fuel and do everything humanly possible to bring an end to insecurity so as to ensure our people can go back to their farms.”
The former Vice-President also urged Nigerians to vote massively for the ADC in the 2027 general election and protect their votes against alleged electoral manipulation.
“We should all come out, vote massively, protect our votes, and make sure our votes are counted and announced.
“We will not allow what happened in the last elections to happen anymore,” he added.
Atiku described Sokoto as an important political centre in Northern Nigeria and the wider West African region, citing its historical significance as the seat of the Sokoto Caliphate.
He also commended the ADC leadership in the state for hosting the campaign rally, alleging that some elements in the ruling party had attempted to frustrate the gathering.
Speaking at the event, ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, said the massive turnout demonstrated the party’s growing popularity in Sokoto.
Mark said the large crowd that lined the route from the airport to the campaign venue showed the level of grassroots support enjoyed by the party.
He described the joint presidential ticket of Atiku and his running mate, former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as a credible alternative to the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The former Senate President criticised the Federal Government over the economic hardship and insecurity in the country, accusing the administration of failing to provide effective leadership.
In his remarks, Amaechi said the 2027 election should be determined by the economic realities facing Nigerians rather than ethnic or religious considerations.
“Today, there is no religion in our politics; there is no ethnicity. It is about the cost of living,” he said.
The former Minister of Transportation urged Nigerians to assess their current living conditions against previous administrations, arguing that the Tinubu government had failed to meet public expectations.
Also speaking, former Sokoto State Governor and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, urged Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress in 2027.
Tambuwal faulted the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity, food inflation, poverty and infrastructure deficits.
He said the coming election should focus on the quality of leadership rather than regional or partisan loyalty.
“It is not about supporting our own leaders. It is about delivering leadership to this country,” he said.
Tambuwal urged ADC members to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election.
A major highlight of the rally was the presentation of the ADC flag to the party’s Sokoto State governorship candidate, Muhammad Manir Dan’Iya, by Mark.
The presidential delegation arrived at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport shortly after 1pm.
It reportedly took the convoy nearly four hours to cover the less than 10-kilometre distance to the campaign venue, as thousands of supporters lined the roads to welcome the delegation.
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