By NEFISHETU YAKUBU

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has described the 2027 general election as a rescue mission for Nigerians, urging voters to support the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the ADC, made the call during the inauguration of the party’s presidential campaign Council (ADC-PCC) on Friday in Abuja.

He said the election was a rescue mission, urging Nigerians to participate by voting for candidates capable of improving their welfare and making life affordable again.

“As members of this esteemed Campaign Council, we must make this choice clear to Nigerians: the Jan. 16 election is about their welfare and the future of their families.

“This election is a rescue mission, and every Nigerian with a PVC has a part to play. Let us urge them to dust off their PVCs and use them.

“In these difficult times, the ballot is more than a card; it is a powerful instrument for deciding whether life becomes affordable again,” he said.

Atiku called on the campaign council members to take the message to communities nationwide, mobilising Nigerians to vote for recovery and improved living conditions.

He said electoral transparency was essential to democracy, stressing that policies and security plans would achieve little if citizens’ votes were stolen during elections.

Atiku said Nigerians must trust that votes cast would be accurately counted, adding that democracy depended on respecting citizens’ sovereignty and protecting their electoral choices.

He said accredited party agents, civil society organisations and observers should be allowed to verify results independently, noting that such activities would complement INEC’s responsibilities.

“Let me state clearly: transparency is not a crime. Accredited party agents, civil society organisations and observers have the right to independently verify results and operate situation rooms.

“They do not replace INEC; they help confirm that the national outcome reflects what was recorded at each polling unit.

“Technology must serve the people, not hide the process: election systems must be open to scrutiny and independent audit,” he added.

The former vice-president called for severe penalties for vote suppression, result manipulation and electoral fraud, describing such safeguards as necessary measures for protecting the people’s mandate.

Atiku condemned attempts to prevent opposition candidates from campaigning in Benue, insisting that no community should become inaccessible to opposition political parties.

He pledged that ADC candidates would campaign across all states, from coastal communities to northern regions, and resist unlawful attempts to restrict their political activities.

On petroleum policy, Atiku advocated support for products refined locally and sold domestically, proposing budgetary allocations, spending caps and independent audits to ensure accountability.

“Fuel is only one part of the damage. We must make food affordable, restore reliable power, put people to work and let businesses grow. We must secure the roads and farms.

“We must remove the obstacles that hold back young Nigerians with the talent to compete anywhere in the world. A speech about growth means nothing to a family that cannot afford dinner,” he stated.

Atiku said the inauguration of the ADC-PCC marked an important moment, describing members as patriots and veterans of Nigeria’s democratic journey.

He urged council members to approach their assignments with seriousness, urgency and commitment, saying the political moment required sustained efforts to achieve the party’s objectives. (NAN)

•ADC presidential candidate Atiku

30-day petrol discount: CISLAC demands answers on N1,350 price cap, subsidy savings

Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has challenged the Federal Government to account for savings from petrol subsidy removal, demanding transparency over its proposed 30-day petrol discount and the ₦1,350 per litre price ceiling.

The organisation said Nigerians deserved to know who would finance the discount, its total cost and what would happen when the 30-day period expired.

CISLAC’s Executive Director and head of Transparency International Nigeria, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said temporary price interventions could not replace lasting solutions to the country’s cost-of-living crisis.

In a statement, Rafsanjani said the government must take responsibility for the economic hardship Nigerians continue to face, including rising transportation costs, food prices, business closures and declining purchasing power.

He said Nigerians had endured significant sacrifices following petrol subsidy removal, but the promised benefits remained largely invisible to struggling households.

“Government must stop presenting short-term interventions as major economic achievements when millions of citizens are still unable to afford basic necessities,” he said.

CISLAC also demanded clarification on the actual pump price Nigerians would pay under the proposed arrangement and how the discount would translate into lower transportation fares, food prices and the cost of essential commodities.

The organisation asked the government to disclose how much had been realised from subsidy removal, where the savings had gone, who had benefited and what measurable improvements had reached ordinary Nigerians.

It warned that without transparent financing, clear explanations and verifiable benefits to consumers, the intervention could become another temporary measure that fails to address the underlying economic challenges.

CISLAC urged the Federal Government to tackle what it described as key drivers of economic hardship, including corruption, excessive governance costs, wasteful public expenditure, weak accountability and policies that undermine businesses and livelihoods.

It called for cuts in unnecessary government spending, stronger domestic production, improved electricity supply, affordable transportation and measures to protect vulnerable households.

According to the organisation, the government must demonstrate the same financial discipline and willingness to make sacrifices that it demands from citizens.

“It is unacceptable for ordinary Nigerians to continue paying the price of economic reforms while political officeholders remain largely insulated from their consequences,” the statement said.

CISLAC maintained that the success of economic reforms should be measured by sustained reductions in living costs, improved livelihoods and accountable management of public resources, rather than temporary discounts.

It urged the government to prioritise citizens’ welfare and ensure that economic interventions produce tangible and lasting relief. (The Sun)