The battle for the control of the Presidency in 2027 elections continues to gather traction as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar insists on going ahead with his campaign in Sokoto despite intimidation.
With less than three months to the January 16 2027 presidential election, the political atmosphere in Nigeria is becoming charged and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is not comfortable with alleged attempts by government forces to muscle him, his party, ADC and his ambition.
At a press briefing held in his Asokoro residence in Abuja, he said what is happening in Sokoto State is not political competition but a calculated campaign to frustrate him and deny Nigerians their freedom of choice in 2027.
For Atiku, the 2027 general election will be a defining moment in the democratic history of Nigeria.
He says it is more than a contest between parties or candidates, and a choice between a government that has shown indifference to people’s suffering and Nigerians who have endured enough and want their votes to count.
While accusing the Department of State Services (DSS) of being used for the harassment of his supporters, Atiku alleges that the Bola Tinubu’s administration has pursued politics of absorption and intimidation while drawing opposition figures to the APC.
Atiku advises Nigerian voters to remain resolute, stand their ground to defend their votes amid intimidation. According to him, the ADC will stand with security operatives who refuse to be used against democracy and who remain faithful to the constitution.
He said, “What is unfolding in Sokoto is not ordinary political competition. It is a calculated campaign to frustrate the African Democratic Congress, obstruct our campaign and deny Nigerians the freedom to choose.
“Public facilities that should be available to every political party for legitimate campaign activities have been blocked. Logistical support has been withheld. These are not harmless administrative delays. They are deliberate attempts to deny the ADC a level playing field.
“More disturbing still, the information available to us is that the leadership of the Department of State Services is recruiting people to stage protests in Sokoto. The objective is to create disorder, give the APC controlled state government a pretext to impose a curfew and prevent our campaign take off from holding as scheduled.
“We know where some of these protesters are assembled: an office behind Zenith Bank on Koko Road. Trucks are stationed there and dispatched to key points, including the roundabout. These mobilised protesters are causing gridlock. Commuters are being threatened and, in some cases, beaten. Some of the protesters have moved away from the roundabout to find shade.
“This is not intelligence work. It is political interference dressed in official uniform. Security agencies exist to protect Nigerians and uphold the law, not to recruit protesters or help a political party manufacture a crisis. I call on every officer involved to stop immediately and return to the constitutional duty of impartial service.
“For three and a half years, the Tinubu administration has devoted too much energy to weakening credible opposition and too little to solving the problems facing Nigerians. It has pursued a politics of absorption and intimidation, while drawing former opposition figures into the APC and narrowing the space for political competition. The aim is to reduce Nigeria to a one party state in all but name.
“The government is afraid of the people’s verdict. It has unleashed a crushing cost of living crisis and now appears determined to frustrate Nigerians’ democratic right to choose a different path. Food, transport, fuel, electricity and other essentials have become unaffordable for millions. Families are struggling to feed their children, pay school fees and keep their businesses alive. That is the record this government should be defending before the people, instead of trying to stop a rally.
“I will make life affordable again. We will support local production, strengthen food production, create jobs and reduce the cost of doing business. We will pursue a targeted production subsidy tied to fuel refined in Nigeria, so that support reaches consumers through measurable relief while also strengthening domestic industry. Nigerians deserve policies that put food on the table, restore opportunity and make daily life manageable again.
“The APC has still not recovered from the abysmal failure of its last rally in Kaduna. It should have taken that as a warning that Nigerians are withdrawing their confidence. Instead, it has chosen intimidation and obstruction. These are the last kicks of a dying horse. The more this government tries to silence the people, the clearer it becomes that it has already lost their confidence.
“The 2027 general election will be a defining moment in our democratic history. This is more than a contest between parties or candidates. It is a choice between a government that has shown indifference to people’s suffering and Nigerians who have endured enough and want their votes to count.
“The ADC will resist every gimmick, administrative roadblock and underhand manoeuvre designed to exclude the opposition or impose a one party reality on Nigeria. We will not be intimidated into silence or irrelevance. Our campaign will proceed, and I will be in Sokoto tomorrow, God willing, to address the good people of the state.
“I call on the people of Sokoto to remain calm and peaceful. Do not allow anyone to provoke you or turn a political gathering into a security crisis. I also urge the security agencies to protect commuters, residents and rally participants without favour. The authorities must ensure that our rally can hold peacefully and without interference.
“To the voters of Nigeria, remain resolute. Stand your ground. Democratic freedom is not a gift from any government. It is your right. Do not allow anyone to intimidate you or checkmate your will.
“As the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, I give you my word: I will lead this campaign and I will not abandon the field. We will confront every attempt to restrict democratic participation with firmness, organisation and faith in the Nigerian people.
“The ADC will stand with officers who refuse to be used against democracy and who remain faithful to the Constitution. Those who choose to betray their duty and collude in the suppression of political freedom will be held accountable under the law.
“Nigeria belongs to its people, not to any party or temporary occupant of power. We will defend that truth and the people’s right to choose.”
Friday Olokor
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