Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has vowed to appoint more youths and women into his government if elected president in 2027.
“We will make sure that 70 per cent of our appointments will go to the youths and women,” Mr. Abubakar said in a viral video circulating on social media on Saturday.
Mr. Abubakar, who has contested the presidency six times over three decades, also promised a massive crackdown on corruption if given the mandate.
“I swear to God, if elected, whoever steals or engages in any corruption-related activities, we will declare war against them, and they must be punished,” he said.
“Other countries are advancing, but Nigeria remains regressive because of a few corrupt people.”
His statement comes just days after opposition politicians formed a coalition, adopting the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election. The coalition includes former Anambra Governor Peter Obi and former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi, both of whom have pledged to serve only one term if elected.
Mr. Abubakar’s anti-corruption promise follows past controversies that dogged his political career. He was caught on tape admitting how he and others allegedly used onshore shell businesses to corner billions in federal contracts.
He was also linked to a broadband contract scandal during Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency. The case led to the conviction of William Jefferson, then a U.S. congressman, after American investigators discovered cash bribes tied to the Nigerian deal hidden in Jefferson’s refrigerator. Mr. Abubakar, however, was never formally charged in connection with the case.
Over the years, Mr. Abubakar has made multiple attempts at the presidency. He first ran in 1993 under the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In 2007, he contested on the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) platform, losing to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He also challenged Goodluck Jonathan at the PDP primaries in 2011 but was defeated.
In 2014, Mr. Abubakar joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2015 election but lost the presidential primaries to Muhammadu Buhari. Returning to the PDP in 2017, he lost the 2019 election to Buhari and again lost the 2023 presidential race to Bola Tinubu.
