Atiku urges youths to take charge of Nigeria’s political future

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has urged Nigerian youths to take active roles in politics, saying their time to lead the country is now.

Atiku made the call on Wednesday at the ADC National Youth Leadership Summit in Abuja, where he unveiled what he described as a partnership with young Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general election.

He urged the youths to “register, organise and lead”, saying political change would not come through social media activism or complaints alone.

“Your time is not tomorrow. Your time is now,” Atiku said.

He criticised the practice of mobilising young people during election campaigns only to exclude them from decision-making after elections.

According to him, his political programme would reserve at least 30 per cent of legislative candidacies for people below the age of 40, with a significant number expected to be below 30.

Atiku, however, said young Nigerians seeking political office must prepare themselves by understanding governance, public finance, policy and the workings of government institutions.

“Do not simply complain about the people making decisions. Prepare yourselves to replace those who are failing you,” he said.