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My Plans for Nigeria – Atiku Abubakar
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has unveiled a 12-point policy agenda he says will guide his administration if he wins the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The policy commitments were published by AbdulRasheed Shehu, Special Assistant on Broadcast Media to Atiku, as part of the former vice-president’s campaign message ahead of the election.
The agenda focuses on the economy, education, local government autonomy, transportation, electricity, job creation, security, agriculture, healthcare and the restructuring of the federal system.
Atiku proposed the restoration of a targeted petroleum subsidy as part of measures to reduce transportation costs and ease the pressure of rising living expenses on Nigerians.
He also promised to review the operations of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), including consideration of debt forgiveness for beneficiaries. The proposal is based on the position that Nigerian students should have access to affordable education and scholarships rather than being burdened with debts.
On local government administration, the former vice-president pledged to implement the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy. Under his proposal, funds meant for local councils would be paid directly to them and deployed for development at the grassroots.
Atiku also identified the development of Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure as a major part of his economic agenda. He proposed reviving the Eastern maritime port corridor by restoring the operational capacity and competitiveness of ports in Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri, while supporting the development of the Uyo Deep Sea Port.
According to the policy document, strengthening the eastern and southern ports would reduce pressure on the Lagos port corridor, lower logistics costs, create employment and improve trade between the South-East, South-South and northern markets.
The former vice-president further promised to reopen Nigeria’s land borders to legitimate commercial activities. He said the move would help revive legal cross-border businesses, support traders and strengthen regional commerce.
Atiku also proposed changes to the electricity sector, including a review of the existing tariff classification system. His campaign said the reform would address what it described as discriminatory billing and make electricity more affordable to consumers.
Young Nigerians and women also feature prominently in the proposed agenda. Atiku plans to establish a $10 billion startup and entrepreneurship financing programme aimed at providing greater access to capital, while also increasing the participation of youths and women in government appointments and economic opportunities.
The security sector is another major focus of the policy commitments. Atiku proposed recruiting more security personnel, improving their welfare and strengthening the use of modern intelligence and field technology.
His plan also includes tackling corruption within the security system, confronting insurgency, banditry and other serious crimes with greater political will, and strengthening security cooperation with neighbouring countries.
In agriculture, Atiku said his administration would seek to encourage Nigerians to return to farming by improving security in farming communities and lowering production costs. The plan also includes greater access to financing and other forms of support for farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs.
The former vice-president equally proposed a major overhaul of the healthcare sector through institutional reforms and increased access to quality and affordable basic healthcare. The agenda also promises to address shortages of medical personnel, as well as their remuneration and welfare.
On governance, Atiku proposed devolving more powers to states and local governments by restructuring the Exclusive and Concurrent Legislative Lists. He said the federal government should become smaller and more efficient, concentrating on responsibilities that require national coordination while giving subnational governments greater capacity to manage local affairs.
He also pledged to implement the Oronsaye Report as part of efforts to reduce government waste and eliminate duplication among federal institutions. The proposal is intended to rationalise government agencies, reduce institutional overlap and corruption opportunities, and improve efficiency and service delivery across the public service.
The release of the 12-point agenda comes days after Atiku’s wife, Titi Abubakar, urged Nigerian youths to support her husband in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking at the ADC All Support Groups Town Hall Meeting in Abuja, Titi said Atiku’s experience would enable him to begin governing without having to learn the responsibilities of the presidency on the job.
“Atiku is a sellable material. That is why I am so proud of my husband. Atiku is a philanthropist. Atiku has done it before. Atiku is not going to learn on the job. And Atiku is not a novice,” she said.
She also said Atiku was seeking the presidency to improve the lives of Nigerians rather than to enrich himself.
“Atiku is a man of honour, a man of his word. Atiku is not coming to chop government money. Atiku wants to give back to you people. Atiku wants you people to know what it is all about government,” Titi said.
She further highlighted Atiku’s proposed inclusion of young people and women in government, recalling his pledge to reserve 40 per cent of appointments for the two groups.
Titi also urged young voters to protect their votes and reject attempts to buy their support ahead of the election.
“Don’t allow them to come and give you money and you sell your conscience. If you sell your vote, you are selling the vote of your generation yet unborn,” she said.
She acknowledged that the ADC might not have the financial resources of some political opponents but urged youths not to exchange their votes for temporary financial benefits.
“ADC don’t have that money to give you. Don’t be a sellout. Because these people, they have all our money in their kitties,” she said.
Titi had also criticised the state of governance and the economy, saying, “Nothing is working. Our economy is in shambles.”
Headlines
Wike Begins Money-for-Vote Campaign, Dangles N10m Bounty for Abuja Councillors to Reelect Tinubu
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has introduced what observers view as a novel dimension to Nigeria’s electoral process as he sensationally promised a N10 million cash reward to every councillor who “delivers” his ward for President Bola Tinubu and All Progressives Congress candidates at the 2027 general election.
Wike made the declaration at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders’ meeting in Kwali Area Council, attended by traditional rulers, political stakeholders and residents.
The minister, according to Channels TV, urged councillors to mobilise residents and community groups to guarantee victory for the APC in their wards, attaching a price tag to electoral success.
“Any councillor that delivers his ward will get N10 million reward. Therefore, go and meet your leaders, go and meet your youth groups, go and consult with associations. Let’s deliver our ward to Mr President,” Wike reportedly announced.
The statement has triggered concerns over vote-buying, inducement of grassroots officials and the weaponisation of public office to compromise the 2027 polls.
Critics argue that dangling N10 million per ward to elected councillors blurs the line between legitimate mobilisation and financial inducement, reducing the election to a transactional contest where delivery is rewarded in cash.
With months to the general elections, the promise raises fresh questions about whether the will of voters will count, or whether wards will be delivered through coercion, compromise and cash.
Observers warn that when councillors – the closest elected officials to the people – are placed on a bounty, the stage is set for intimidation of opponents, manipulation of results and rigging at the polling unit level.
The development is being seen as part of a growing pattern of desperation within the political class to secure victory at all costs, even if it means monetising the electoral process and compromising its integrity before the first ballot is cast.
The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has declined to endorse Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, for another term as head of the National Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwadta said he has no preferred candidate for the position, insisting that the decision would rest entirely with senators elected into the next National Assembly.
He made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
Asked whether the APC would return Akpabio as Senate President if he wins re-election, Yilwatda responded: “Let’s wait for the election first. I don’t have anybody in mind. The Senate will determine who they want to make the Senate President.”
His response comes despite growing support for Akpabio’s bid to retain the position beyond the current legislative term.
In October, senators publicly backed Akpabio’s return as President of the 11th Senate, with some lawmakers declaring that there would be no vacancy in the position.
Akpabio, who has led the Senate since June 2023, is seeking another term in the National Assembly.
However, Yilwatda’s remarks suggest that the APC leadership is not publicly committing itself to any candidate for the Senate presidency before the elections.
The Senate President is elected by members of the upper legislative chamber, meaning Akpabio would still need the support of his colleagues to retain the position even if he wins re-election.
During the same interview, Yilwatda also defended President Bola Tinubu’s physical fitness ahead of the 2027 presidential election and accused opposition parties of relying on blackmail during political campaigns.
The Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, has warned Governor Chukwuma Soludo not to commit treachery against the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the name of politics.
Umeh pointedly warned Soludo that his unwarranted attacks on Peter Obi would lead to a fight.
The lawmaker issued the warning while speaking at an unnamed gathering in the State, which was captured in a viral video.
Umeh unapologetically said any Igbo person who refuses to vote for Obi is an enemy of the race.
“People are saying that we have to support another person; if we do that, we are destroying ourselves. I’m an Igbo activist, and you can hear my voice in the Senate on all issues of national importance and particularly those that affect the Igbo.
“Peter is our conscience in this election. Any Igbo man who stands up to say we will not vote for Peter Obi is an enemy of the Igbo people, no matter who the person is.
“Nobody can try it here; I have been hearing a lot of things going on in this State. This government; I helped in installing it; nobody came here to be Governor of Anambra State since 2003 without my input. This one that his serving; I was a principal contributor to his ascending that office; he is holding that office in trust for all of us.
“Anything he does in that office, he must discharge it with honour and nobility, and it’s not by sabotaging our own brother.
“I’m saying it so that anybody who sees him can tell me that we don’t want to fight, but he should not commit what is called an abomination by wanting to destroy his brother in the name of politics.
“Nobody on the side is saying support Peter Obi. Everybody on the other side is saying support Tinubu. But we are saying let us stand for the truth. Peter Obi; this is the time, and if he makes it, the Igbo have made it.”
