Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised alarm over mounting discontent amongst Nigerian youths regarding the current state of governance in the country.
In a statement shared on his X handle on Sunday, Atiku disclosed that he recently met with a group of young people from across the 19 northern states, who voiced their frustrations over electoral fraud and the resulting economic difficulties plaguing the nation.
The former Vice President said the youths expressed concerns that their votes do not count and that poor governance alongside harmful policies are severely affecting their standard of living and private businesses.
“Every time they come to have a conversation with me about bad governance, fraudulent elections, and resultant hardship being faced by citizens, I deeply feel sad about the situation,” Atiku stated.
“Yesterday evening, I received yet another group of youths from across the 19 Northern states, led by Alh. Adamu Bappa Gombe. They were worried about how their votes don’t count and how bad governance and policies impact negatively on their standard of living and private businesses.”
In his response to the concerns raised, Atiku said he encouraged the youths not to lose hope, emphasising that meaningful change can only be achieved through the ballot box.
“I have continued to encourage them not to give up. I told them the change they desire can only come through the ballot. I reminded them that they have a responsibility to mobilise their fellow young people to keep participating in the process of leadership recruitment through elections,” he said.
The former Vice President further challenged the youths to address voter apathy, noting that the current turnout rates are discouraging.
“I reminded them that the change they desire cannot be attained by voter apathy and that 25 per cent to 30 per cent voter turnout in every election cycle is not encouraging. I challenged them to make a huge difference by influencing massive participation in 2027,” Atiku added.
He also reiterated his commitment to fighting anti-democratic forces in the country, declaring, “On our part, we shall not relent until Nigeria is recovered from anti-democratic forces.”
Atiku served as Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo. He has made multiple attempts to become President of Nigeria, contesting in six presidential elections.
The former Vice President has left the Peoples Democratic Party to join the African Democratic Congress, alongside his former rival Peter Obi. The move is part of a broader strategy to present a united opposition front against the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential elections.
