APC Is Using Court Ruling To Weaken My Support In The North – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the APC of using Thursday’s Federal High Court judgment on the leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to frustrate his presidential ambition. He recently had his say via a press statement by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.

Stressing that the APC is trying contain the opposition party’s growing political influence ahead of the 2027 elections, Atiku insisted that the judgment would neither derail the ADC’s campaign nor diminish its appeal across the country.

Rejecting attempts to frame his candidacy as a Northern project, Abubakar added that the economic crisis confronting Nigerians has made his political message relevant across regional boundaries.

His words, “The people of Sokoto came out in their thousands because they are hungry for change and believe in our promise to make life affordable again. What we witnessed in Sokoto is only the beginning. The people of Kebbi will have their say, and so will Nigerians across the country as our campaign moves forward.

My roots are in Northern Nigeria, but my candidacy belongs to all Nigerians. There is a difference between being from the North and being a candidate only for the North. Hunger and hardship do not respect regional boundaries. Nigerians across the country are suffering under this government, and they deserve a leader with a credible plan to make life affordable again.

The timing of this judgment is no coincidence. It is part of a strategy to weaken my support in the North and frustrate a campaign whose message is resonating across the country. But the ruling party’s greatest miscalculation is to assume that my support ends in the North. What we saw in Sokoto, what we will see in Kebbi and across the country, is the strength of a national movement.

Why, after that judgment, was another case filed to reopen the same dispute? This is a calculated attempt to circumvent a subsisting judgment. We will challenge this judicial manoeuvre at the Court of Appeal.

Our journey to rescue Nigeria from the hardship imposed by the APC government is a long one. Our Affordable Life campaign will continue because Nigerians deserve relief from this crushing cost-of-living crisis.

There is no shaking.”