What steps will you take to stop the APC from rigging the election?

Let me tell you plainly what I have said on this, because it matters as much as any other issue in this election.

I have told President Tinubu and his administration that they must resist any temptation to turn the institutions of the Nigerian state into instruments of partisan advantage. The police belong to Nigeria. The military belongs to Nigeria. INEC belongs to the Nigerian people. None of them belongs to the APC. My message to INEC, the security agencies and the Tinubu administration is simple: let the people vote, let every vote count.

I have said that if our institutions cannot conduct a free, fair, peaceful and transparent election in one state, Nigerians will legitimately ask what confidence they should have in the general election. That is why I have called for peaceful elections, and said that this demand should never be misunderstood as weakness. It is only what the Constitution and democracy guarantee every Nigerian: the freedom to vote and the right to have that vote count.

I have also said that voters themselves have a responsibility, to defy all forms of intimidation and make their choice. And when I met with the Enugu Polling Booths Vanguard for Atiku, a group concerned with the sanctity of the ballot, I told them that for us to have credible elections that earn voters' trust, citizens must take the responsibility of safeguarding votes seriously. Votes will count if they are protected by those who cast them.

I have spoken about what happens when this trust breaks down. I have said that when people lose confidence in elections, democracy is practically on life support, and that courts affirming a lack of transparency in our electoral system continue to usurp the rights of voters to elect their leaders.

Beyond this, I have said that building a credible opposition, with structures across all levels and special attention to youths and women, is how we give our people a reliable option and freedom of choice.

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Thread on X Thread by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1718948336344936730 2023-10-30 ›

Yet that same INEC undermined the use of that technology during the elections and collation process and declared as winner someone who clearly did not win the Presidential election. They then went further to take sides in the courts in a dogfight to defend their illegality. Who would convince the millions of Nigerians to vote in future elections after they suffered endlessly on queues to register to vote, to collect PVCs and to vote, based on INEC’s assurances only to see their votes stolen and given to someone they did not vote for? When people lose trust and confidence in elections, democracy is practically on life support. And by affirming and legitimizing the continued lack of transparency in our electoral system the courts are continuing to usurp the rights of voters to elect their leaders. The other grave implication is that contestants in Nigeria’s elections should do whatever is necessary to be declared the winner. That includes identity theft, impersonation, forging of educational and other documents, perjury, and violence.

Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1836316508147859758 2024-09-18 ›

For nearly a decade, the APC has betrayed the people. They criticized past leaders for raising fuel prices, yet today, they preside over an era where fuel costs soar above N900 per litre. Their cruelty and disregard for the plight of the masses are unmatched. A vote for the APC is a vote for the continuation of misery, hunger, and despair. Open your eyes, Edo State. Do not be swayed by the empty promises of the APC. Electing Dr. Asue Ighodalo of the PDP is not just a vote; it is an act of reclaiming our future. It is a choice to consolidate the good work of Governor Godwin Obaseki and to build a future of prosperity, dignity, and hope. Let us march to the polls this Saturday, united in our resolve to bring about the change we so desperately need. Let us cast our votes for Asue Ighodalo and usher in a new dawn for Edo State. The power is yours. Use it wisely. -AA

Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1991598517316420094 2025-11-20 ›

This afternoon, I received a delegation of ADC stakeholders from Taraba State. I am pleased to hear that they are committed to grassroots mobilisation and membership registration to build formidable structures of the party across all levels in the state. Against all efforts by the current Tinubu-led APC government to force one party on citizens, building a credible opposition to give our people a reliable option and freedom of choice cannot be taken lightly. I encourage that special attention be given to youths and women. They are the future. -AA

Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2024167460572651596 2026-02-18 ›

This morning, I was in Gwarinpa with other leaders of our party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), including my brother, H.E. Peter Obi, ahead of the Saturday, February 21 FCT Council elections. We have been speaking with voters about why this election is important and why ADC candidates should be the right choice. This election is very important. It will say a lot about how ready the managers of our elections are to deliver free, fair and credible polls. It will also say a lot about how ready people are to chase the APC out. I have encouraged voters to come out in large numbers to vote for ADC candidates across all FCT Councils in the elections. Our party has fielded candidates with competence, capacity and character to offer quality leadership across local councils in Abuja. Voters have the responsibility to defy all forms of intimidation and make the right choice. The APC-led Federal Government under Bola Tinubu has failed citizens on many fronts. It has failed to fix the economy. It has failed to fix our education. It has failed to keep our country safe. It has pushed the citizens of a rich nation into deeper poverty. It has allowed criminal elements to hold citizens to ransom.

Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2039053674731720819 2026-03-31 ›

This afternoon, I received the Enugu Polling Booths Vanguard for Atiku, a group chiefly concerned with the sanctity of the ballots, led by Chief Obodoeze Ocho. They believe that every vote must count in 2027. I fully agree with them that protecting votes at the Polling Units level is vital for the coming elections. I told them that, for us to have credible elections that earn voters' trust, citizens must take the responsibility of safeguarding votes seriously. Votes will count if they are protected by those who cast them. -AA

Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2087552029358956958 2026-08-12 ›

President Tinubu and his administration must resist any temptation to turn institutions of the Nigerian state into instruments of partisan advantage. The police belong to Nigeria. The military belongs to Nigeria. INEC belongs to the Nigerian people. None of them belongs to the APC. And let nobody misunderstand our demand for peaceful elections as weakness. We are asking only for what the Constitution and democracy guarantee every Nigerian: the freedom to vote and the right to have that vote count. If our institutions cannot conduct a free, fair, peaceful and transparent election in one state, Nigerians will legitimately ask what confidence they should have in the general election next year. The world is watching Osun. Nigerians are watching. History is taking notes. So my message to INEC, the security agencies and the Tinubu administration is simple: Let the people vote. Let every vote count.

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What steps will you take to stop the APC from rigging the election?

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