Former VP Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerian youths to take an active role in shaping the country’s political future, declaring that their time to lead is now and not tomorrow.
Atiku made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while addressing youths of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as part of activities marking International Youth Day.
Speaking to the young delegates, the former presidential candidate said he was not at the gathering merely to seek their votes but to build a partnership with them towards creating a Nigeria where young people can realise their potential.
“I stand before you today not simply as a presidential candidate asking for your support. I stand before you as a Nigerian who believes that our young people have waited long enough,” Atiku said.
“For decades, young Nigerians have been told to be patient, to wait their turn, and to prepare themselves because they are the leaders of tomorrow. But tomorrow has been promised to Nigerian youths for too long.
“Your time is not tomorrow. Your time is now.” He said.
Atiku said his engagement with the ADC youth wing was intended to move beyond discussions about the difficulties facing young Nigerians and towards giving them a direct role in determining the country’s future.
“I have therefore not come here simply to speak about your frustrations. You know those frustrations better than I do because you live with them every day. I have come to offer you a partnership to change the conditions that created them and to ask you to become active participants in building the Nigeria you deserve,” he said.
Atiku highlights youth unemployment, ‘Japa’
The former vice president said many young Nigerians had fulfilled the traditional expectations of working hard and obtaining an education, only to graduate into an economy where degrees no longer guarantee employment or financial security.
He noted that the growing migration of skilled young Nigerians to countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States was a reflection of the limited opportunities available at home.
“We call it Japa, but it is more than a slang word. It is a verdict on a system that has failed to give many of its brightest young people sufficient reason to believe that their dreams can be realised at home,” Atiku said.
He, however, praised Nigerian youths for their resilience and creativity, pointing to their contributions to technology, entertainment, agriculture, fashion and the wider digital economy despite inadequate infrastructure and limited access to finance.
According to him, the achievements of young Nigerians under difficult conditions demonstrate what could be accomplished if government institutions functioned effectively.
“If Nigerian youths can achieve so much while struggling against unreliable electricity, poor infrastructure, insecurity, unemployment and limited access to capital, imagine what you can accomplish when government actually works,” he said.
Atiku blamed government policy choices for many of the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians, arguing that leadership should focus on reducing hardship rather than continually asking citizens to endure it.
“Leadership is not the art of explaining suffering. Leadership is the responsibility to reduce it,” he said.
Atiku promises 30% youth representation
Atiku also promised greater political inclusion for young Nigerians, saying his political programme would deliberately create opportunities for a new generation to enter leadership.
He said at least 30 per cent of legislative candidates under the platform would be below 40 years old, while expressing a desire to see significant representation of people below 30.
“At least 30 percent of our legislative candidates will be under the age of forty, and I want to see a significant number under thirty,” he said.
He, however, challenged young Nigerians to prepare themselves for leadership by acquiring knowledge of governance, public finance, policy and institutions.
“Do not simply complain about the people making decisions. Prepare yourselves to replace those who are failing you,” Atiku said.
Atiku outlines plans for jobs, education, digital economy
The former vice president said a government under his political programme would expand access to finance for young entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers, technology founders and people in the creative sector.
He said access to economic opportunities should not depend on family connections, political influence or the availability of a “godfather”.
On education, Atiku advocated reforms that would equip young Nigerians with skills relevant to the modern economy, including science, technology, vocational education, agriculture, digital skills and entrepreneurship.
He also promised to treat broadband and digital connectivity as essential infrastructure, arguing that young Nigerians in different parts of the country should have comparable opportunities to participate in the digital economy.
On security, he said government must prioritise the protection of lives and property to create an environment where Nigerians can travel, farm, attend school and operate businesses without fear.
Atiku raises alarm over Osun election
Atiku also used the occasion to raise concerns about preparations for the Osun State governorship election, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the Federal Government to ensure a free, fair and transparent exercise.
He criticised what he described as the heavy deployment of security personnel ahead of the election.
“Elections are civil engagements, not military operations. Ballot papers are not bullets. Voters are not enemy combatants. Opposition members are not insurgents,” he said.
Atiku questioned why such a large security presence was being deployed for an election when terrorists, kidnappers and bandits continued to threaten communities across the country.
He urged security agencies to protect voters rather than create an atmosphere of fear around the electoral process.
To INEC, Atiku said: “Osun is a test.”
“There must be no mysterious glitches. No unexplained delays. No manipulation of the process,” he added.
He further called for election materials to arrive on time, voters to be allowed to cast their ballots freely and results to be counted and transmitted transparently.
“The police belong to Nigeria. The military belongs to Nigeria. INEC belongs to the Nigerian people. None of them belongs to the APC,” Atiku said.
He warned that the conduct of the Osun election could influence public confidence in the 2027 general election.
“If our institutions cannot conduct a free, fair, peaceful and transparent election in one state, Nigerians will legitimately ask what confidence they should have in the general election next year,” he said.
‘Register, organise, lead’
Atiku urged the ADC youth wing to take practical steps towards political participation, identifying three priorities: “REGISTER. ORGANISE. LEAD.”
He encouraged young Nigerians to mobilise eligible voters in their communities, campuses, workplaces and digital spaces.
“Anger is not an organisation. A hashtag is not an organisation. Complaining on social media is not an organisation,” he said.
“If you want political power, you must organise for political power.”
He also warned young Nigerians against allowing ethnic, religious and regional divisions to weaken their collective political influence.
“Poverty has no tribe. Unemployment has no religion. Insecurity does not ask for your political party before it strikes,” Atiku said.
He urged young people to seek elective and leadership positions while also holding political leaders accountable.
“I want your support, but I also want your scrutiny. That is how democratic institutions become stronger,” he said.
‘Let the river rise’
Atiku concluded his address with an appeal for young Nigerians to turn their political energy into sustained grassroots mobilisation.
Using the River Niger as an analogy, he said political change could begin with individual actions that eventually combine to form a powerful movement.
“Every young Nigerian who decides that hopelessness is no longer acceptable adds another stream. Every young person who registers, organises and decides to lead adds strength to the current,” he said.
He urged the ADC youths to take the message of the summit back to their communities and transform it into participation, ideas, candidates and votes.
“Let the river rise,” Atiku said.
“Your time is not tomorrow. Your time is now.”
He ended by urging Nigerian youths to work towards building a country capable of matching their ambitions and talents.
“Together, we can build a Nigeria worthy of your talent, worthy of your dreams and worthy of generations yet unborn,” he said.
