The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to restore fuel subsidy, reopen Nigeria’s land borders for legitimate trade and tackle insecurity if elected president in 2027.
Atiku made the pledge on Wednesday during the party’s presidential campaign flag-off in Sokoto, which attracted thousands of supporters.
He said his administration would focus on improving security, reviving the economy and promoting cross-border trade, particularly in Northern Nigeria, where many communities depend on commercial activities with neighbouring countries.
“I will open all the land borders for our people to do legitimate business with our brothers across the border.
“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 our farms,” he said.
The former Vice-President urged Nigerians to participate in the 2027 elections, vote for the ADC and protect their votes to ensure they are properly counted.
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👉 JOIN GISTSMATE WHATSAPP CHANNELHe said the party would resist any attempt to manipulate the electoral process.
“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,” Atiku said.
He also described Sokoto as an important political and historical centre in Northern Nigeria and West Africa, citing its position as the seat of the Sokoto Caliphate.
Atiku thanked the state party leadership for organising the campaign flag-off, alleging that the ruling party in Sokoto had opposed the rally.
Earlier, the ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, said the turnout at the event showed that residents of Sokoto were ready for political change.
Mark noted that the delegation spent more than three hours travelling from the airport to the rally venue, a distance of less than 10 kilometres, attributing the delay to the large crowd of supporters.
He described the combination of Atiku and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, as the leadership needed to address the country’s security and economic challenges.
Mark also said the ADC would work to reverse what he described as its failures.
In his remarks, Amaechi said the 2027 election should be determined by the economic conditions of Nigerians rather than religious or ethnic considerations.
He urged voters to assess the Tinubu administration based on the cost of living and its performance in office, adding that the country needed leadership capable of addressing the hardship facing citizens.
Also speaking, former Sokoto State Governor and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, urged Nigerians to vote out the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.
Tambuwal accused the Tinubu administration of failing to address insecurity, poverty, hunger and infrastructure challenges.
He said the election should be about providing effective leadership rather than supporting candidates based on political alliances or regional considerations.
“It is not about supporting our own leaders. It is about delivering leadership to this country,” he said.
He called on supporters to mobilise for the ADC ahead of the elections.
At the event, Mark also presented the ADC flag to the party’s Sokoto State governorship candidate, Muhammad Manir Dan’Iya.
The Atiku-led delegation arrived at the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport shortly after 1pm but reached the rally venue shortly before 5pm.
Thousands of supporters from different parts of the state gathered at the airport and along adjoining roads to welcome the presidential candidate and attend the campaign flag-off.
Atiku’s promises come amid an ongoing debate over the economic policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023.
The former Vice-President has repeatedly pledged to restore the subsidy if elected in 2027, while proposing a targeted intervention for locally refined petroleum products.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council has, however, challenged him to explain how the proposal would be funded and implemented.
On the proposed reopening of land borders, the Federal Government had disputed Atiku’s claim that Nigeria’s borders remained closed, saying several major land borders had been reopened for trade under previous and current administrations.
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