ADC needs a winner, not an experiment —Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that at this defining moment in Nigeria’s history, the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) must choose not merely a candidate, but a leader with the competence, courage, experience, and national reach to rescue the country from economic collapse and institutional decay.

In a statement on Sunday issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku noted that the ADC was founded on the principles of transparency, accountability, inclusion, and democratic renewal, making the choice before delegates not just a political exercise, but a historic responsibility.

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“At a time when Nigeria is bleeding from every pore—crippled by economic hardship, insecurity, rising debt, institutional failure, and deepening hopelessness—the question before the ADC is simple: who has the capacity not merely to campaign, but to govern effectively from day one?

“This is not a season for political experimentation. Nigeria cannot afford a learning-on-the-job presidency.”

Atiku, who reaffirmed his commitment to the ideals of the ADC as the party holds its presidential primary election Monday, stated that leadership of a fractured and struggling federation requires tested judgment, executive temperament, economic literacy, and the ability to build bridges across every region, faith, and demographic.

“Nigeria today needs a president who understands governance not as theory, but as lived responsibility.

“It needs someone who has negotiated globally, created jobs through enterprise, managed national crises, built coalitions, and consistently articulated a practical roadmap for economic recovery and national renewal.”

“At this defining moment, ADC delegates must ask themselves a simple but profound question: do we want to make a statement, or do we want to make a President? Nigeria is not merely facing economic hardship; it is grappling with the devastating consequences of catastrophic economic choices, deepening insecurity, and institutional decay. This is not the season for sentiment or political experimentation.

“While others may audition for the role with stirring rhetoric and fashionable slogans, Atiku Abubakar brings institutional memory, tested judgment, executive experience, and the proven capacity to govern from day one.

“Elections are not won on social media enthusiasm alone. Governance is not performance art. The presidency is not a platform for improvisation.

“The ADC must present to Nigerians its strongest, most credible, most prepared candidate—not merely its loudest.”

Atiku noted that his track record as Vice President during one of Nigeria’s most reform-oriented economic periods remains a compelling testament to his preparedness.

“The economic reforms that helped reposition Nigeria, the privatisation drive that opened sectors, the fiscal discipline that contributed to debt relief, and the governance reforms of that era were not accidents.

“They were products of leadership, competence, and courage.”

He stressed that defeating a deeply entrenched incumbent requires more than emotion—it requires strategy.

“The ADC must think beyond sentiment. It must think about victory. It must think about governance. It must think about Nigeria.

“This is a defining election. The party needs a candidate with national acceptability, political resilience, tested structures, and the capacity to unify disparate interests into one winning coalition.”

Atiku urged delegates to rise above narrow calculations and choose the path of competence.

“History will remember this moment.

“The choice before ADC delegates is not merely about ambition. It is about destiny.

“Nigeria deserves rescue, not rhetoric.”