African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday told young Nigerians their time to lead is “now, not tomorrow,” and challenged them to register to vote, organise politically, and take up elected office under a pledge that 30 percent of ADC legislative candidates would be under 40.
Speaking at the National Youth Leadership Summit of the ADC in Abuja, the former Vice President (1999–2007) framed the 2027 election as a choice between managing hardship and reducing it.
“One Standard For All”
Atiku opened his address by questioning the consistency of documents submitted by President Bola Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“If you were applying for a job today and submitted a certificate bearing one date, while another version of what purports to be the same certificate carried a different date and different signatures, what do you think your prospective employer would do?” he asked. “They would ask you to explain yourself.”
He noted reports of conflicting dates, June 22 and June 27, and questions about signatures and degree descriptions on Tinubu’s certificate. “I am not asking you to accept my conclusion. I am asking… why should the man seeking Nigeria’s highest job be exempt from the same standard?”
The Presidency has previously defended Tinubu’s academic records. The ADC has repeatedly called for greater transparency around the documents.
Diagnosis Of “Japa” And The Economy
Atiku said the Nigeria young people experience today betrays the promise that education and hard work guarantee opportunity. He cited graduates facing unemployment, rising costs of food, transport and rent, and the exodus of professionals abroad.
“We call it Japa, but it is more than a slang word. It is a verdict on a system that has failed to give many of its brightest young people sufficient reason to believe that their dreams can be realised at home,” he said.
He blamed policy choices of the current APC administration for the hardship, adding: “Leadership is not the art of explaining suffering. Leadership is the responsibility to reduce it.”
Despite the challenges, Atiku praised youth innovation in tech, Afrobeats, Nollywood, fashion and small businesses, arguing that with reliable electricity, infrastructure and capital, “imagine what you can accomplish when government actually works.”
Covenant: Jobs, Education, Security, Digital Access
Atiku outlined what he called a practical partnership with youth:
– *Jobs and Enterprise*: Expanded transparent access to finance for young entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers and creatives, “without needing to know anybody in Abuja.”
– *Education*: Shift toward science, technology, vocational training and entrepreneurship, and a guarantee that “no brilliant Nigerian child should be denied tertiary education simply because his or her parents are poor.”
– *Digital Infrastructure*: Treat broadband as essential national infrastructure so a young person in Gombe or Yenagoa can access the same digital economy as someone in Lagos.
– *Security*: Strengthen training, equipment and welfare of security forces and expand community-based approaches.
– *Democracy*: Strengthen INEC’s independence and ensure elections are peaceful and transparent.
*Warning Ahead Of Osun Governorship Poll*
Turning to the upcoming Osun governorship election, Atiku warned INEC and security agencies against militarising the vote.
“The scale and posture of security deployment make it appear as though Nigeria is preparing for war rather than conducting an election,” he said. “Elections are civil engagements, not military operations. Ballot papers are not bullets.”
He demanded “no mysterious glitches, no unexplained delays, no manipulation” and said Osun “is a test” for INEC’s credibility ahead of 2027. “The police belong to Nigeria. The military belongs to Nigeria. INEC belongs to the Nigerian people. None of them belongs to the APC,” he added.
The Three-Word Charge
Atiku closed with a direct appeal: “REGISTER. ORGANISE. LEAD.”
He urged youth to register voters in campuses and communities, to join party structures instead of relying on hashtags, and to reject ethnic and religious division. “Poverty has no tribe. Unemployment has no religion. Insecurity does not ask for your political party before it strikes.”
He also asked young people to hold ADC leaders accountable. “Do not become a youth wing that applauds everything its leaders say. If I, as your presidential candidate, fail to live by the commitments I make to you, remind me.”
Using the River Niger as metaphor, Atiku said political change builds like streams joining a river. “One person may be ignored, but millions cannot be ignored. One voice may be silenced, but a generation determined to shape its future cannot be wished away.”
The two-day summit in Abuja drew youth leaders from across the ADC as the party positions itself ahead of the 2027 general elections.
