Speaking at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja during his acceptance speech, Atiku said he was “truly humbled and excited” by the nomination, describing it as a “singular honour.”
“I wish to express my profound appreciation for the privilege, which you have bestowed on me, of leading our great party, the African Democratic Congress, into the next elections as its Presidential Candidate,” he said.
Atiku declared that the ADC remained one of the few platforms where democratic principles were still respected.
“We demonstrated that while democracy is being strangled and squashed by the ruling party and its oppressive and anti-democratic government, democracy is alive and well in the African Democratic Congress,” he said.
“In our party, members are allowed to express their views, to have ambitions and to contest for elective positions in a free, fair and transparent process.”
The former vice president described the ADC coalition as one “built through hard work, immense sacrifices and compromises,” adding that it was driven by a determination “to rescue our country’s democracy which is facing its greatest threat since the return to democratic rule in 1999.”
Atiku accused the APC-led government of engineering crises within opposition parties with the backing of the Independent National Electoral Commission and elements within the judiciary.
“As I speak, virtually all opposition political parties in the country have leadership crisis engineered by the APC government, the INEC and elements in the judiciary,” he alleged.
He also condemned the continued detention of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, describing it as politically motivated.
“He has been in detention for three months despite court orders granting him bail. He has been denied the right to celebrate two important religious holidays with his family in addition to being denied the opportunity to be by his mother’s side as she took her last breath. All because he is a leading opposition figure! This kind of cruelty must stop.”
Atiku further alleged that anti-corruption agencies and security institutions were being used to force opposition politicians into joining the APC.
“The government continues to harass, intimidate and coerce opposition politicians to join the APC using the security agencies as well as the agencies which were set up by a previous government to fight corruption,” he said.
“Under this government, once a person joins the APC, the harassment ceases and the charges against them magically disappear. This abuse of power must stop.”
The ADC presidential candidate warned against attempts to interfere in the affairs of his party.
“Yet the government and the INEC continue to undermine it, even trying to deregister it. Let me warn that any further attempt to interfere in the affairs of the party by the Presidency, INEC and judiciary will be fiercely resisted. Enough is enough.”
Atiku congratulated his fellow contestants in the party’s primary election and urged members to unite ahead of the general election.
“I must state at this juncture that this is not the time to celebrate. No one was defeated because we are one party and we all need to recognise the fierce urgency of the moment.”
He said the ADC would work to “pull our country and our people out of the destructive grip of a corrupt, incompetent and polarising APC government.”
On insecurity, Atiku said Nigeria was experiencing “the worst kind in our history,” lamenting the killings of civilians and security personnel across the country.
“Our people are being slaughtered in large numbers and the government has failed to take decisive and effective action to stop it and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.
“The most disturbing is that members of our security forces, including military generals, are being slaughtered wantonly.”
He promised that an ADC government under his leadership would strengthen the military and other security agencies through “massive new recruitment, provision of modern and adequate equipment, training, improved welfare and effective leadership.”
On education, Atiku criticised the current administration over the number of out-of-school children.
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