How will you ensure votes are protected and 2027 elections are credible?

I want you and your family to know that I remain focused on building a Nigeria where every vote truly counts. I have said that protecting votes at the Polling Units level is vital, and that votes will count if they are protected by those who cast them. Citizens like you taking that responsibility seriously is part of what will give us credible elections that earn voters' trust.

I have also raised concerns about the conduct of INEC and the National Assembly as we approach 2027. I have called on INEC to reconsider the February 20, 2027 election date because it falls within the Ramadan period, a sacred season for millions of Nigerian Muslims, and I have said that inclusive planning is fundamental in a diverse country like ours. I have pointed to the loopholes in the Electoral Act 2022 that paved the way for rigging in the 2023 election, and I have called on the Senate to finalise amendments to that law so that an updated, credible legal framework governs the 2027 elections. Anything short of that, I have said, is a deliberate attempt to rig the election before the ballots are even cast.

We shall continue to support the efforts of civil society organisations and local and foreign election observation missions working toward genuine electoral reforms ahead of 2027.

I urge you and your family to remain steadfast. As I learned from my late leader and mentor, Shehu Yar'Adua, losing a battle is less important than losing the war. With our hopes in God, we shall win the war of restoring confidence in our electoral system.

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Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/1699788279837794707 2023-09-07 ›

On this note, I urge all my supporters to remain steadfast. I urge them to take solace in an immortal lesson I learned from my leader and mentor, the late Shehu Yar’Adua, that losing a battle is less important than losing the war. We might have lost a battle yesterday, but the war is well ahead of us. And I believe that with our hopes in God, we shall win the war of restoring confidence in our electoral system. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the Press, I thank you for your attention. Atiku Abubakar, GCON Waziri Adamawa Vice President of Nigeria (1999 – 2007) 2023 PDP Presidential Candidate

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/1974023725092675789 2025-10-03 ›

Yesterday evening, I received a high-powered European Union delegation, including the Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E Gautier Mignot. The delegation led by Barry Andrews, a member of the European Parliament, who was also Head of the 2023 EU- Election Observation Mission to Nigeria, is engaging in broad-based conversation on the future of Nigerian elections. This visit is a follow-up mission to see the level of implementation of a set of recommendations made by the team following the 2023 General elections. Expectations are high that the Independent National Electoral Commission will urgently work with the National Assembly to give citizens election laws that guarantee transparent and credible elections, where every vote counts. It is worrisome that two years down the line, we are yet to see indications that INEC is committed to an improved electoral process. Meanwhile, we shall continue to support efforts by CSOs, local and foreign Election Observations Missions (EOMs), including the EU-EOM, that will lead to genuine electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 General elections.

Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2014283590629007599 2026-01-22 ›

A major setback to the 2023 elections is the loopholes in the Electoral Act 2022 that paved the way for the brazen rigging of that election, and the near-impossibility of petitioners to advance their cases in the courts. It is imperative that if the mistakes of the 2023 election are to be corrected, the legal instrument for the conduct of the 2027 and subsequent future elections needs to be reviewed. But as things stand, it has become obvious that the Senate is determined to frustrate the passage of amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act. The recent report by FIJ serves as both an indictment of the Senate and a timely call for legislative responsibility. The credibility of the 2027 general elections hinges on the urgency with which the Senate treats this crucial bill. It is, therefore, imperative that the Senate finalises the amendments and ensures the updated law governs the conduct of the 2027 elections. Anything short of this is a deliberate attempt to rig the election long before the ballots are cast. -AA

Post on X Post by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2022415360566133059 2026-02-13 ›

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must urgently reconsider the February 20, 2027 date it has announced for the general elections. That date falls squarely within the Ramadan period (February 7 – March 8, 2027), a sacred season of fasting, reflection, and spiritual devotion for millions of Nigerian Muslims. Elections are not mere administrative rituals; they are national exercises that demand maximum participation, physical endurance, and collective focus. Fixing such a critical civic exercise in the middle of a major religious observance reflects poor judgment and a troubling lack of sensitivity to the nation’s socio-religious realities. In a diverse country like Nigeria, inclusive planning is not optional, it is fundamental. Something as basic as choosing a broadly acceptable date should not be mishandled. It speaks to competence, foresight, and respect for citizens. If INEC struggles with getting a simple matter of timing right, Nigerians are justified in asking: what assurance do we have that it will competently deliver free, fair, and credible elections in 2027? -AA

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

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How will you ensure votes are protected and 2027 elections are credible?

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