Former Vice President and ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has cautioned the federal government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and security services against manipulating the Osun governorship election to favor the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Addressing the ADC National Youth Leadership Summit in Abuja, Atiku stressed that elections are civic duties rather than military missions. He argued that the heavy security presence currently deployed in Osun seems excessive, especially while many communities face ongoing threats from bandits and kidnappers.
Atiku emphasized that state institutions, including the police, military, and INEC, belong to the Nigerian populace rather than any political party. He demanded that the electoral body ensure a smooth process by preventing technical failures and maintaining full transparency in how results are counted and transmitted. The former vice president also turned his focus to President Bola Tinubu, questioning discrepancies in the certificate Tinubu submitted to INEC. He raised concerns regarding inconsistent dates and signatures on the documents, suggesting that the president should meet the same standard of scrutiny as any Nigerian citizen applying for employment.
Highlighting constitutional provisions regarding the submission of forged credentials, Atiku called for clear authentication of the documents. Finally, he encouraged the nation’s youth to channel their dissatisfaction into active political engagement rather than limiting their influence to social media activism. He pledged that a significant portion of his party’s candidates would represent the younger generation.
