Sokoto, 6 November 2026
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stated that a recent court ruling does not represent the will of Nigerian voters and that he remains a candidate in the forthcoming election. In a statement issued on Thursday, he told Nigerians that no court decision, narrative or other manoeuvre could remove his place in the contest or deny citizens the right to choose their next leaders.
“Those who boast of having thirty two governors and claim to have bought, pressured or coerced leaders from other parties into their fold should have no reason to fear a free and fair contest,” Atiku said. He alleged that, instead of presenting a record for scrutiny, those in power were deploying political pressure, manufactured stories, courtroom actions and attempts to alter the voters’ register. He specifically mentioned the reported insertion of artificial intelligence generated photographs, false names and fictitious identities.
Atiku questioned the record of the present administration. He said the government removed the fuel subsidy overnight without a plan to protect ordinary people, oversaw a steep fall in the value of the naira, and allowed food prices to rise beyond the reach of many families. He added that factories and small businesses had closed, that young people were leaving the country in search of better prospects, and that bandits and kidnappers continued to threaten communities.
“Look around you. Market stalls stand empty. Feeding your family has become a daily struggle. Fuel prices keep rising, and silent pain fills homes across the country,” the statement read. Atiku urged supporters not to lose heart, describing the vote as the power that could “take our country back.”
He declared that he would not withdraw from the race. “I am in this race. I am not going anywhere. We will be on the ballot. No threat, blackmail or court manoeuvre will make me abandon you or the cause we share.” He pledged to resist any attempt to turn Nigeria into a one party state and insisted that democracy must remain open to more than one party and more than one voice.
“If those in power believe in their numbers and their record, let us meet at the polls in a free, fair and credible contest,” Atiku said. He added that his campaign’s message on the cost of living would continue and called on supporters to remain calm, united and resolute.
Concluding the statement, he said: “Bola cannot use the courts to escape the judgment of Nigerians at the ballot box.”
Atiku Abubakar served as Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007.
By A.IKechukwu
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